HOWARD LAKE FIELD

Howard Lake Field, constructed in 1980, is one of the finest community college complexes in the state of Alabama. The field's capacity of 350 includes bleacher-style seating, picnic seating, and a seating area for fans that wish to bring their own chairs. Howard Lake Field also houses a roomy press box, concession stand, storage room, and men and women's restrooms, which are all located at the rear of the third base dugout.

Arguably, the best playing surface in the ACCC, Howard Lake Field is constructed of Tifton-Bermuda Sod, which the Pirates play on during the fall season. However, each November, Howard Lake Field is overseeded with Kelley Premium Turf Blend Ryegrass to maintain a plush green, checkerboard pattern for the spring season. The field, which typically plays fast, is cut at a 5/8 inch cutting height by a Jacobsen Tri-King 84 inch reel-type mower. The infield skin, which was recently re-surfaced in November of 2009, consists of a 60/40 ratio of a clay and sand mixture with over two tons of Turface MVP added to the top layer to give Howard Lake Field a light brown contrast against the bright green grass. Howard Lake Field's grass and skin are manicured daily in order to maintain a safe, consistent, and true playing surface.

"The Lake", as it is affectionately called by the players and staff of CVCC, is in the midst of its first major face lift renovation since its construction in 1980. Completed projects include a new 8 feet tall outfield wall with a 16 feet batters eye in centerfield ranging from gap to gap. The wall is painted black with its signature color, Columbia Blue, striped at the top, Columbia Blue and Athletic Gold numbering and White Skull and Cross Sword logo indicating the field's distances from home plate. The remainder of the fence consists of black vinyl chain link fencing enclosing the foul territories from foul pole to dugout. Additionally, new home and visitor bullpens have been constructed using landscaper's stack stone to give the bullpens a pleasing aesthetic look. Furthermore, over 30 feet of foul territory was removed from the field and a new warning track has been cut in to make room for future buildings at the complex. These new buildings include new 70' x 15' dugouts, a new concession/restroom/press building, and a future field house which will include locker rooms, meeting rooms, coaches' offices, training room, storage, and a weight room.

Howard Lake Field has been the host of many historic Chattahoochee Valley baseball victories and is commonly known as one of the toughest places to play for its opponents. Since the break out season of 2003, the Pirates have amassed 161 home victories and a .749 winning percentage with the 2010 edition of the Pirates posting a school record and unprecedented 22-0 home mark, en route to the Pirates school record-breaking 42 wins. Additionally, the 2007 club set the single season home win total at The Lake, when they posted an amazing 24-4 record that year. Furthermore, of Coach Adam Thomas's 375 career wins, 191 have occurred at The Lake, with 6 of his milestone victories taking place here, the latest was win number 350 on March 16, 2010 versus Darton College.

Along with tons of victories, there have been numerous milestones and great moments to take place at Howard Lake Field, included in that are several no-hitters. The latest coming on February 15, 2005 by Colby Elrod of Douglasville, Georgia in a 10-0 win over Faulkner University. The Lake has also been the home of several current and former Major League Baseball players, which include pitcher Danny Cox (St. Louis Cardinals), catcher Randy Hunt (St. Louis Cardinals), pitcher Tim Hudson (Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves), and pitcher Chuck James (Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals), not to mention numerous draft picks who had successful minor league careers. The latest of the CVCC draftees came following the 2010 season in pitcher, Jeff Shields, who was selected in the 7th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

KEY HALL

Key Hall, named after former CVCC basketball coach and ACCC and CVCC Hall of Fame member, Doug Key, is a state-of-the-art athletic facility that was erected in 1990. Recently reallocated to become the exclusive home of the athletic department, Key Hall's upper level contains an indoor athletic arena, which enables the Pirate baseball team to work out indoors when inclement weather occurs. Additionally, Key Hall includes the head and assistant baseball coaches' office, conference rooms for team meetings and film review, and a traditional weight room for strength training the Pirate athletes.

The lower level of Key Hall houses a spacious locker room for the Pirate baseball team, which includes bathrooms, laundry facilities, players lounge, and dressing areas for players and coaches. Directly across the hall from the Pirate locker room is the notorious CrossFit Room. In the fall of 2008, the Pirate coaching staff incorporated a complete strength and conditioning system into the baseball program - CrossFit. CrossFit combines aspects of every type of strength and conditioning system created, from gymnastics, Olympic lifting, powerlifting, body building, body weight exercises, short, intermediate, and long distance running, etc. The beauty of Pirate CrossFit is that the only equipment you will see in this large room is Olympic barbells, rubber bumper plates, medicine balls, and pullup bars. The CrossFit Room is unsurpassed in serving the strength and conditioning needs of the Pirate baseball team.