PROGRESS: Northwestern College athletic facility provides year round practice chances

The Ron and Peg Juffer Fieldhouse -- named after long time baseball coach and education instructor Ron and his wife, who also taught at Northwestern --  opened in October.

The $3.2 million, 33,000-square-foot facility features a 3,600-square-foot golf practice room with a multiple-hole practice putting green and four hitting stations. 

Head golf coach Aaron Aberson said the new facility will help smooth the transition between the fall and spring golf seasons.

“We’ve got this giant winter gap in the middle … and it didn’t allow us to get a whole lot better,” he said. “We’ll be able to have some meaningful practices.”

The 20,000-square-foot Bomgaars Family Field includes indoor practice space for baseball, softball, soccer and football. 

A 140- by 140-foot turf surface will allow the baseball team to scrimmage indoors on a simulated, full-sized infield. With a net surrounding the surface, baseball and softball teams will be able to hit balls during scrimmages as well.

The building also contains the 6,300-square-foot Korver Athletic Performance Center, where athletes can work out under the supervision of certified strength and conditioning coaches.

Players have emphasized that the facility allows them to practice without missing a beat when the weather outside wouldn't typically allow it. 

Head baseball coach Brian Wede said the new center provides relief for his team, from both weather and unfavorable practice times. Previously,  the baseball, softball and golf programs shared indoor practice space with other sports programs at the Rowenhorst Student Center.

“Baseball and softball teams were having 10 p.m. to midnight practices in that facility,” said athletic director Earl Woudstra. “That was not conducive to lives of students academically as well as athletically.”