New softball facilities open at River Campus

The softball team opened the season with a new dugout, new equipment, and a renewed sense of school spirit.
By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications 

Since opening in 1999, University School of Nashville’s River Campus has become a venue for some of USN’s top athletes to make their mark on the local sports scene. 

While the campus houses top-notch baseball, tennis, track and field, and soccer facilities, the USN softball team needed a new dugout for the second consecutive season for the renewed Tigers. In fact, a group of Middle School softball athletes was the first to lobby Director Amani Reed when he became Director in 2022.

When the softball team started the 2023 campaign, its reinvigorated school spirit led to several wins, but something was missing: Cue, the newest addition to the River Campus, a new softball dugout.

In addition to the dugout, the team also received new tees, helmets, and other equipment.

Work on the dugout started last year, with the River Campus staff ensuring the facility came together correctly. 

As trustee and chair of the school’s Building and Grounds Committee, Will Radford put it, the River Campus addition has been in the works for a while, but the administration's buy-in helped bring it to completion.

“The project has been in the works since Reed arrived at USN, and this has helped with the equity among all the sports that USN provides,” said Radford, whose daughter is on the HS softball team.

“We’ve increasingly invested in the River Campus as an extension of 2000 Edgehill,” said Reed. “Whether it’s new Wi-Fi, water drainage systems, or even the new softball facilities, we want to continue to make investments that help the River Campus serve as a true community hub.”

In 2023, USN added a 50x80-foot practice facility with turf and net systems, creating three bays with five separate retractable hitting areas for baseball, softball, and golf teams. 

Caroline Keiper ’25 said she knew new facilities would impact more than wins and losses.

“The new softball dugout represents that USN is willing to spend money on our team and that the school believes in our future as a team,” she said. “We feel equal and more respected compared to other sports, and it shows that USN is making strides to equalize the programs. It adds a level of legitimacy to our team.”

The Tigers won their first game in their new dugout against St. Cecilia, 10-8. While the team is still early in the season, there have already been several standout games during the season and breakthrough performances from players like Yvonne Thomas ’25 and Caroline.

“The players have loved everything, and they’ve been excited for the space and storage,” said HS Softball Coach Katie Roth ’15.” They’ve earned it through their work, and the new additions have helped legitimize the program.”

The new softball dugout was made possible with the philanthropic support of Tiger Club. This parent-led booster club supports student-athletes and gives families access to all regular-season USN campus sporting events.

The dugout is just the beginning for the Tigers,

“The program has become much more permanent and long-lasting. With the rebirth of the team post-COVID, we have a lot more engagement from the High Schoolers and Middle Schoolers who are playing softball, so we know that the program will continue to grow even after we graduate,” Caroline said. “We are so excited about the future of our team.”

Take a look at the new softball facilities from 4-7 p.m.Tuesday, April 9, during River Campus Spirit Night or the team’s next home game at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 10.  Click here to see the Tigers' full schedule. 
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