ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico baseball program will unveil the R.D. & Joan Dale Hubbard Clubhouse in a ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 3 p.m. outside of the new facility (located south of WisePies Arena – The Pit on University Blvd SE).
The grand opening will feature UNM Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs, President of the UNM Board of Regents Robert Doughty, donor R.D. Hubbard and UNM baseball coach Ray Birmingham speaking during a press conference prior to the ribbon cutting for the facility. The event is open to the public and will be broadcast on Facebook Live on The University of New Mexico athletic department Facebook account (facebook.com/NewMexicoLobos). The public is invited to tour the facility and attend the reception following the opening ceremony.
“This is a great step forward for our program and a huge thanks goes to all the people that have helped make this a possibility,” said Birmingham, who is entering his 10th year with the Lobos. “This facility is top notch and will greatly benefit our student-athletes. They will have a place to call their own.”
The $2.3 million facility is located down the right field line at Santa Ana Star Field and features locker rooms, coaching offices, restrooms, showers, a training room, storage and a player’s lounge. The building also provides a second-floor deck that overlooks the field.
View overlooking Santa Ana Star Field from the new R.D. & Joan Dale Hubbard Clubhouse.
The project is the first building on UNM’s campus primarily funded through private donations, with R.D. & Joan Dale Hubbard’s lead gift of $500,000 playing a huge role in making the clubhouse a possibility.
UNM is also working to honor the Dennis family’s gift after the first of the year by naming the state-of-the-art locker room after them. Dee Dennis III was a player for the Lobo baseball program, and his family – including his father Dee Dennis, Jr. – donated $300,000 to the clubhouse project. The Dennis family also assisted with the installation of the lights to Santa Ana Star Field in 2013.
The Lobos are coming off the 2016 Mountain West Tournament title and their fifth NCAA postseason appearance since 2010. The program is having success both on and off the field as Lobo baseball posted a program-record 3.26 GPA during the 2016 spring term – their eighth-consecutive semester of a 3.0 or better team GPA.
If interested in donating to UNM baseball and UNM athletics, contact the Lobo Club at 505-925-2582 or at loboclub@unm.edu. You can also visit the Lobo Club’s website at unmloboclub.com.
