ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Softball will play a home opener today. After 32 games away from home, the Eagles have the opportunity to play in a park that they have watched under construction since the middle of the fall. Eastern will host DeSales in a doubleheader that starts at 3:00 pm.

The field was slated for several upgrades in the fall, but when epic flooding hit St. Davids in August, it became apparent that minor upgrades would be vulnerable to future weather events and would not be a good investment in a facility right in the middle of Eastern's campus.

New Athletic Director Eric McNelley launched the idea of flipping the field to put the infield further from the creek and the pond and to create greater playability even in routine wet weather. That process, took time, engineering, funding, and local approvals. The hope was to have the field open in early April, but construction delays kept the Eastern team on the road. When sod went down in the outfield, it turned into a waiting game.

The waiting will end today.

"I am thrilled that we are able to get this to happen today," McNelley said. "We feel like we have done the project the right way. With drainage and irrigation in place, we have created a very attractive facility in a tremendous location that will give us a great chance to build this program. I am grateful for the patience that Sarah and the team have shown through this process. We are all excited to have them home today."

There will be a short ceremony to open the field before the game and the team plans to honor seniors Taylor Crown, Leah Lozzi, and Sam Albertson between the games.