Shortstop Samantha Rose ’27 is loving the softball teams’ new winter practice space. Why? It’s really saving her shins some pain.
“Before the new indoor turf facility opened in January, we would practice in Memorial Fieldhouse. We were fielding balls on hard floors and trying to set up a field partially on basketball courts and partially on the track,” said Rose, who is majoring in environmental engineering and minoring in chemistry and climate change studies. “I feel this strongly impacted the way I transitioned into the season.”
“It’s completely different fielding on hard floors compared to dirt or turf. It’s much harder to read the balls and the bounces are unpredictable,” she added. “I can’t count how many times the ball wouldn’t bounce at all and would just skip right into my shins!”
Brooks Field at Achilles-Messa Center is doing more than reducing bruises, however.
“This new facility is very important to our team,” Rose said. “In our pre-season, getting game-accurate practice is going to be a complete game changer. We will be able to hone our skills on the turf, which we actually play on frequently during the regular season.”
After renovations, Brooks Field opened in January in the space formerly occupied by the ice rink and hockey programs, which have new homes at M&T Bank Center in Mohawk Harbor.
The space provides Union with an on-campus indoor turf facility for the first time. It allows varsity teams to not only practice indoors during the winter, but to practice with more flexibility and continuity.
“Prior to the indoor turf facility, winter training required a patchwork approach. We frequently relied on shared campus spaces like the fieldhouse at off-peak hours, which often meant very early mornings or late evenings,” said Derek Witheford ’ll, men’s lacrosse head coach. “This made it difficult to maintain consistent training rhythms and added stress to student-athletes already balancing academic demands.”
In addition to the new turf, the facility now offers dedicated batting and pitching areas for the baseball and softball teams. It also houses the Travis J. Clark ’00 Strength Training Facility, a state-of-the-art workout area exclusively for the use of Union student-athletes, as well as the College’s primary sports medicine facility. As part of the renovation, several teams and coaches also moved their locker rooms and offices into the new space.
The renovations were made possible by a $1 million gift from Sana and Andy Brooks ’78, P’13.
Rose is grateful for their support of athletics and of Union.
“I have played softball since second grade,” she said. “I committed to Union for the academics and the opportunities -- and being able to play softball has definitely been one of my favorites!”
She thinks future students will be just as excited about what Union offers.
“This facility is going to make our school even more attractive to prospective students and student athletes,” she said.
Head softball coach Christopher Comino agrees.
“The indoor turf facility started to help our softball program before renovations even began,” he said. “Most Division III schools do not have an indoor turf facility and as soon as we made the announcement, I reached out to all of my recruits. I believe it helped me secure a big and talented 2026 class.”
The new turf will be most heavily used by the softball, baseball and lacrosse teams. But it will also create an additional space for Union’s club sports and recreational offerings and foster deeper connections with the surrounding community.
“Brooks Field presents opportunities for meaningful community engagement through youth clinics, camps and outreach programs,” said Witheford. “We anticipate using the space to rent to youth sports events and instructional programming that connects Union athletics with the Schenectady community.”
The space is also strengthening bonds among teammates.
“This facility has become a place that all our players gravitate to daily,” said John Muller, head baseball coach. “The field, batting area and team space overlooking the field are being utilized nonstop.”
“What I enjoy most is seeing how excited our players are to come in a get work done,” he added. “This space has already become a beacon of positivity is so many ways.”
Emmett Lyne ’26, a lacrosse midfielder who is majoring in economics and minoring in history, has also noticed how quickly the facility has made a difference.
Save the date
A dedication ceremony for Brooks Field is scheduled for April 25. More details will be announced soon.
“The new indoor turf allows us to have productive, full-speed practices no matter the weather and has given us the strongest start to a season I have seen in my four years,” he said. “I am so lucky to be able to use Brooks Field in my last year at Union, and all of the future athletes here are blessed to have such an amazing opportunity. There is not much more a recruit could ask for!”
The Brooks family is thrilled to be a part of this next chapter of Union athletics.
“Sana and I are honored and humbled to be able to help with the transformation of Achilles Center,” said Brooks. “I remember being at Union when H. Laurence Achilles made his magnificent gift to the College. Supporting student-athletes and the broader College community gives us great joy. My son, Bonsal ’13, daughter-in-law Stephanie McCarthy Brooks ’13 and my oldest brother, Steve ’71, all had a terrific Union experience.”
Brooks has a longstanding connection to Union College, especially the lacrosse teams. As a student, he played in the midfield for Union under legendary coach Bruce Allison and watched his son, Bonsal ’13, play four seasons on defense for Union as well.
The demolition needed to renovate the facility was made possible by Keller Construction, under the direction of President John Keller ’91. Keller was a four-year lacrosse player at Union and has been an ardent supporter of the College. He ranks second in Union lacrosse history in goals, assists and points, and was inducted into the Union Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
Alyssa Treanor, head coach of women’s lacrosse, is thankful for their support.
“Lacrosse is a game originally from Native Americans, who played for the creator and for healing. This space gives us the opportunity to be grateful for the game and more opportunity to play it,” she said. “The new locker room attached to the field has given our team space to form lasting bonds that enhance our ability to play and win games. I am so grateful for their generous donations and love coming to work every day in the new space.”