NORFOLK, Va. – When Old Dominion University's baseball team held its first night practice last week, let's just say it took the players a while to adjust their eyes to the lights.
Branham Electric of Chesapeake recently completed the installation of a modern, LED lighting system that head baseball coach Chris Finwood calls the first stage of a dramatic overhaul of the Bud Metheny Ballpark.
The lights replaced metal halide lamps installed in 1984, a year after the stadium opened. And although it was state-of-the-art nearly four decades ago, the system is now outdated.
"Our lighting system had long outlived its useful life," Finwood said. "To be honest, our lights were terrible. This is such a huge upgrade for us."
Greg Smith, ODU's associate athletics director for facilities and event management, said the new lighting system will generate an average of 100 foot candles of light in the infield and 70 in the outfield.
The previous lighting system provided less than 50 foot candles, said Smith.
The lights were manufactured by Musco Lighting, the industry leader in stadium lighting. Musco has installed lighting in dozens of NFL, Major League Baseball and major college football venues as well as dozens of airports and soccer stadiums throughout the world.
Musco installed the lighting system for the "Field of Dreams" field in Iowa when Major League Baseball decided to hold a yearly game there. Alabama and Auburn recently upgraded their baseball stadiums with light systems similar to ODU's, as did Notre Dame football.
Musco also supplied the new lighting at S.B. Ballard Stadium when the football facility was renovated in 2018 and 2019.
New lights (top of photo) replaced the old lights (bottom).
ODU is in the final stages of a $20 million fundraising campaign to rebuild the stadium into a modern facility with vastly improved fan amenities, seating, dressing rooms and coaches' offices. The facility will be capable of hosting the Sun Belt and NCAA tournaments.
Two years ago, when the Monarchs were named a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they were unable to host a regional because Bud Metheny Ballpark did not meet NCAA minimum standards.
The lights were in the works before the campaign to renovate the stadium began. Regardless, Finwood said he considers the lights to be phase one of the stadium renovation, which is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2025 baseball season.
"I hate to say it's like night and day because that's a cliché, but it is," he said. "But there were times last season when I wondered if I needed glasses.
"What a difference when the lights come on. It's like the sun has come back out.
"They are a pleasing bright white light as opposed to the old metal halide lights. It's so much better."
The LED lighting system was designed specifically for ODU's stadium. The lighting was pre-positioned by engineers in the factory, based on blueprints of the stadium, so that when lights were installed, little adjustment would be needed.
The contractor recently had more than 100 flags placed on the field, each measuring the amount of light, to see what tweaks are needed to position the lights perfectly.
"With the old lights, an outfielder could lose a ball in the lights," Finwood said. "That isn't going to happen with these lights."
The LED system allows far less bleeding of light, which led to the glow seen at ODU games in recent years. Because there is no bleeding, each pole has a light pointed upward so that it will fully illuminate fly balls that rise above the lights.
The new system will also reduce light shining into the nearby Lamberts Point neighborhood.
The new system cost $650,000, a significant reduction from the $900,000 budgeted for the project. Smith said ODU asked for bids for the new lights at just the right time.
"The bottom line is that our players and our fans will be able to see our games so much better," Finwood said. "Baseball is a visual game. You're trying to hit a little round ball.
"Obviously it's easier when the lights are better. LED lights are more direct. They are taking a little getting used to, but they're going to be so much better."
The new lights are more energy efficient and will save ODU 50 percent or more on utility costs and thousands of dollars annually in maintenance costs. The LED lights have a typical lifetime of 100,000 hours versus about 8,000 hours for the old lighting system. ODU has spent up to $10,000 in some years replacing old lights.
Moreover, Smith said the old lights burned out slowly, and over time produced less light. The new system continues to provide as much light from the day it is installed until the lights need replacing.
ODU is coming off two seasons in which the Monarchs were a combined 85-33. ODU won the 2021 Conference USA Tournament and advanced to the semifinals last season. The Monarchs advanced to the 2021 NCAA Tournament Columbia Regional final, where they lost to Virginia in extra innings.
The Monarchs open their season on Friday, Feb. 17, at home against St. Johns at 3 p.m.
ODU's first night home game is against Liberty on Wednesday, March 22, at 6. Two nights later, the Monarchs host their first Sun Belt Conference night game against Marshall, also at 6.
The Old Dominion Athletic Foundation is holding a Step Up to the Plate fundraiser for the stadium renovation Friday night at the Priority Automotive Club at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
For more information or to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE
To read more about the Metheny Ballpark renovation, CLICK HERE
Contact Minium at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Minium: ODU Baseball Will Have an Upgraded LED Light System This Spring
