GROVE CITY, Pa. - Grove City College is naming its new baseball field in honor of a former student and baseball pioneer. 

The new field will be named after William C. "Bill" Stewart, a stalwart of the team that brought baseball back to the Grove in 1959. Stewart is also the lead donor on the project. 

The $3 million ballfield is part of Impact 150: The Anniversary Campaign for Grove City College, an ongoing efforts to raise $185 million to increase scholarship funding and make needed campus improvements, including athletic facility upgrades that will benefit students and student-athletes. 

Stewart was a sophomore when Grove City College brought back baseball in 1959 after a decades long hiatus. He was a three-year starter at first base and one of the program's first three-year letterman. 

On May 4, 1959, Stewart had the greatest individual offensive performance ever by a player when he went 5-for-6 with a grand slam, a triple, a double and two singles against Slippery Rock. 

Today's field, which was laid of 60 years ago when Stewart first began playing, has persistent issues. 

Players are subjected to draining issues, uneven terrain in the outfield, and lacks standard modern features including turf and lights. 

In a press release, Coach Matt Royer said that current field conditions impacts the way the team practices, and how the school looks at potential recruits. 

The new William C. Stewart Baseball Field will be located on College property along Pinchalong Road east of campus. In addition to Grove City College baseball, the field will be open to community groups, area schools, churches and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. 

The new baseball field is one of three major Impact 150 projects, which focuses on improving the school's athletic facilities. The plan includes a new $20 million Lower Campus field house, which includes new locker rooms, multipurpose training spaces, coaching offices and gameday facilities. 

Impact 150, the largest fundraising campaign in Grove City College history, is tied the College's sesquicentennial in 2026.