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 (NPF) (2017–present) |
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| Website | |
| USSSA Space Coast Complex | |
The USSSA Space Coast Complex is a large sports park in Viera, Florida. It has a main baseball stadium and 13 other sports fields. Brevard County, Florida, owns this complex.
The main stadium was first called Space Coast Stadium. It was used for spring training by several Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. These included the Florida Marlins (1994–2002), the Montreal Expos (2003–2004), and the Washington Nationals (2005–2016). It was also the home field for the Brevard County Manatees, a minor league team, from 1994 to 2016.
After big changes, the complex reopened in 2017 with its new name. It is now a major place for baseball and softball events. The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) runs the complex. Since 2017, it has been the home of the USSSA Pride, a professional women's fast-pitch softball team.
Contents
History of the Stadium
Building the Stadium
Space Coast Stadium was finished in 1994. It was built so the Florida Marlins could do their spring training in Viera. Construction started on April 29, 1993, in what used to be a field. The stadium cost about $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 that day. They won against the Kansas City Royals with 7,494 fans watching.
Years of Baseball (1994–2016)
The Florida Marlins used Space Coast Stadium for spring training until 2002. In 2002, the Marlins and the Montreal Expos swapped training locations. The Expos then trained at Space Coast Stadium in 2003 and 2004.
The Expos team later moved to Washington, D.C., and became the Washington Nationals. The Nationals used Space Coast Stadium for their spring training from 2005 to 2016. They played many games there each spring.
Space Coast Stadium was also home to the Brevard County Manatees. This was a minor league baseball team that played there from 1994 to 2016. The Gulf Coast League Nationals, a rookie league team, also played some games at the stadium.
The Florida State League All-Star Game was played at Space Coast Stadium three times.
- On June 22, 1996, a record 6,904 fans watched the game.
- On June 14, 2008, 3,402 fans saw the West Division win.
- On June 12, 2010, 4,133 fans watched the South Division win in extra innings.
In 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush held a campaign rally at the stadium. Nearly 18,000 people attended the event on October 23, 2004. During his speech, a loud F-16 fighter jet flew by. It was checking on a plane that had entered the restricted airspace near the stadium.
Brevard County spent money to improve the stadium over the years. Between 1997 and 2011, about $7.8 million was spent. This included $2.8 million in 2006 and 2007 to help keep the Nationals team there.
Teams Move On
The Washington Nationals held their last spring training at Space Coast Stadium in 2016. Their final game there was a win against the Atlanta Braves on March 27, 2016. The Nationals moved their spring training to West Palm Beach in 2017.
The Brevard County Manatees also left after the 2016 season. Their last game at the stadium was on September 4, 2016. The Manatees moved to Kissimmee and became the Florida Fire Frogs.
USSSA Space Coast Complex Today
After the Nationals and Manatees left, Space Coast Stadium needed a new purpose. The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) decided to move its main office there. They also planned to update the stadium and the fields around it.
USSSA spent $22 million on renovations, and Brevard County added $10 million. The goal was to make the complex a top place for youth sports. USSSA calls it "the youth sports capital of the world."
The new USSSA Space Coast Complex has many features:
- A renovated Space Coast Stadium with 8,100 seats and a turf field for baseball and softball.
- A 225-foot "Championship Field" with a video board.
- Four 225-foot turf fields for NCAA softball.
- Four 325-foot baseball/softball fields.
- Four 385-foot turf baseball fields for NCAA games.
- A 175-foot "Championship Field" for younger players (8 and under).
- An 18,000-square-foot indoor building for training and clinics.
- New lighting and two new food stands.
The entire complex now has over 1.3 million square feet of turf. The renovation work started in January 2017 and was finished in the fall of 2017.
In 2017, Space Coast Stadium became the home of the USSSA Pride. This is a professional women's fast-pitch softball team that plays in the National Pro Fastpitch league. Their first game there was on June 8, 2017.
Images for kids
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A baseball game at Space Coast Stadium seen from behind home plate on March 1, 2009.
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Space Coast Stadium during a baseball game on March 1, 2009, seen from left field near the visitors′ bullpen.
