HAYS, Kan. - Fort Hays State University will announce the official name change of its home venue for softball on Saturday (Mar. 25). Tiger Stadium will officially become Fleharty Family Field with a ceremony between games of the home doubleheader against Nebraska-Kearney, which begins at noon. The venue has carried the name of Tiger Stadium ever since it was built and opened for play in 1999, which was the first year of softball for Fort Hays State at the NCAA Division II level.
Gene and Jo Ann Fleharty, long-time supporters of FHSU, partnered with the university in making several upgrades to the facility in recent years.
In the summer of 2022, a new all-artificial turf playing surface was installed, along with bullpen and batting cage areas on each side of the field. New fencing was also installed along both sidelines.
In 2019, a new inning-by-inning scoreboard with LED lighting was installed in place of the old board. In 2013, a permanent grandstand was installed behind home plate between the backstop and the press box. Family members Lyle and Diann Fleharty, Gerald and Cindy Fleharty, and Max Fleharty, assisted Gene and Jo Ann with funding for the scoreboard and permanent seating projects.
Gene retired as a professor of Biology from Fort Hays State University, where he taught for 37 years. The Fleharty's have two children, Debra and Chris, along with four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Original source can be found here.
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