USSSA Space Coast Complex facts for kids
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 USSSA Space Coast Stadium and Complex
Location in Florida
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| Location | 5800 Stadium Parkway Viera, FL 32940 |
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| Coordinates | 28°15′25″N 80°44′22″W / 28.25694°N 80.73944°W |
| Owner | Brevard County, Florida |
| Operator | United States Specialty Sports Association |
| Capacity | 8,100 |
| Field size | Left Field: 340 ft (104 m) Center Field: 404 ft (123 m) Right Field: 340 ft (104 m) |
| Surface | Multi-purpose field turf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 29, 1993 |
| Opened | March 2, 1994 |
| Construction cost | US$6.2 million ($12.2 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | DLR Group |
| General contractor | Miorelli Construction, Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Brevard County Manatees (FSL) (1994–2016) Florida Marlins (MLB) (spring training) (1994–2002) Montreal Expos (MLB) (spring training) (2003–2004) Washington Nationals (MLB) (spring training) (2005–2016) GCL Nationals (GCL) (2005–2016) United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) (fall 2017–present) USSSA Pride (WPF) (2017–present) Viera High School Hawks (2018-present) |
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| Website | |
| USSSA Space Coast Complex | |
The USSSA Space Coast Complex is a huge sports center in Viera, Florida. It has a main baseball stadium and 13 other fields for different sports. Brevard County, Florida owns this amazing facility.
It was first known as Space Coast Stadium. Many famous baseball teams used it for their spring training. These included the Florida Marlins (1994–2002), Montreal Expos (2003–2004), and Washington Nationals (2005–2016). It was also the home field for the Brevard County Manatees from 1994 to 2016.
After big changes, the complex reopened in 2017 with its new name. It became a top spot for baseball and softball. The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) now runs the complex. Since 2017, it has been the home of the USSSA Pride, a professional women's fast-pitch softball team. Also, since 2018, Viera High School uses the stadium for its varsity baseball games and graduation events.
Contents
History of Space Coast Stadium
Building the Stadium
Space Coast Stadium was built for the 1994 Major League Baseball season. The goal was to bring the Florida Marlins to Viera for their spring training. Construction began on April 29, 1993, in what was once a grassy field. The stadium cost about US$6.2 million to build.
The stadium officially opened on March 2, 1994. On the same day, the Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the nearby Kennedy Space Center. The Marlins played their first spring training game there, beating the Kansas City Royals 9-6. Almost 7,500 fans watched this exciting game.
Years of Baseball: 1994–2016
The Florida Marlins trained at Space Coast Stadium until the 2002 Florida Marlins season. In 2002, the Marlins traded training spots with the Montreal Expos. The Expos then used the stadium for their spring training in 2003 and 2004.
Later, the Expos team moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals. The Nationals held their spring training at Space Coast Stadium from 2005 to 2016. They played many games there each spring.
The stadium was also home to the Brevard County Manatees. This minor league baseball team played in the Florida State League from 1994 to 2016. The Gulf Coast League Nationals, a rookie league team, also played some games at the stadium.
All-Star Games and Special Events
Space Coast Stadium hosted the Florida State League All-Star Game three times. The first game, on June 22, 1996, set a record for attendance. Over 6,900 people came to watch. The stadium also hosted games in 2008 and 2010.
On October 23, 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush held a big campaign rally at the stadium. Nearly 18,000 people attended. He arrived and left in his Marine One helicopter. During his speech, a United States Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon jet flew overhead. It was checking on a small plane that had entered the restricted airspace.
Teams Move On
The Washington Nationals played their last spring training at Space Coast Stadium in 2016. Their final game there was a 7–2 win against the Atlanta Braves on March 27, 2016. The Nationals moved their spring training to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2017. There, they share a new facility with the Houston Astros.
The Brevard County Manatees also left after the 2016 season. Their last game at the stadium was on September 4, 2016. They lost to the Daytona Tortugas 6–4. The Manatees moved to Kissimmee, Florida and became the Florida Fire Frogs in 2017.
USSSA Space Coast Complex: A New Era
After the Nationals and Manatees left, Space Coast Stadium needed a new purpose. The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) stepped in. They moved their main office from Kissimmee to the stadium. USSSA planned to completely update the entire complex. They invested US$22 million, and Brevard County added US$10 million.
USSSA wanted to turn the complex into a top-notch sports venue. Their goal was to make it "the youth sports capital of the world." The renovations began in January 2017 and were finished by the fall of 2017.
Amazing New Features
The new USSSA Space Coast Complex has many cool features:
- The main stadium was updated with 8,100 seats. It also has 11 special suites and a large video board. The field is now turf, perfect for both baseball and softball.
- There is a 225-foot "Championship Field" with its own video board.
- Four NCAA-regulation turf fields for softball, each 225 feet.
- Four baseball/softball fields, each 325 feet.
- Four NCAA-regulation turf baseball fields, each 385 feet.
- A 175-foot "Championship Field" for younger players (8 and under) with a video board.
- A huge 18,000-square-foot indoor facility for training and clinics.
- Better lighting and two new places to buy food and drinks.
The entire complex now has over 1.3 million square feet of turf. A special ceremony for the renovation project happened on April 27, 2017.
New Teams and Events
In 2017, Space Coast Stadium became the home field for the USSSA Pride. This professional women's fast-pitch softball team played its first game there on June 8, 2017.
The next year, the Viera High School Hawks baseball team started playing their home games at the stadium. The stadium is also used for high school baseball and football playoff games. Many high schools in Brevard County Public Schools, including Viera High, now hold their graduation ceremonies there.
