Princeton’s baseball and softball teams will soon be relocated to the other side of Lake Carnegie due to campus construction.
The new softball stadium is currently set to be complete this spring and will be located in the Meadows Neighborhood in West Windsor. The softball team will practice alongside new graduate housing, as well as other athletic facilities, including a cross-country course, rugby fields, and the Racquet Center opening in the fall.
While the new softball stadium is nearly complete, the University has not yet released official plans for a new baseball stadium. It is likely that the baseball team will also move to the Meadows Neighborhood area, given the available land and existing athletics presence there.
“We have been told it’s going to be right next to the softball field in the same neighborhood,” pitcher Justin Kim ’26 wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian.
Both Clarke Field, home of Princeton baseball, and Strubing Field, home of Tiger softball, will be replaced by the new Quantum Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering. The fields are located next to the east-facing side of Jadwin. The institute will soon begin construction adjacent to the Environmental Studies and the School of Engineering and Applied Science facilities. The project is another aspect of the University’s plan to expand the campus and increase class sizes.
According to a statement from University Spokesperson Jennifer Morrill, “the Quantum Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering will be a multidisciplinary facility specifically built for the rigorous needs of quantum science.” It will “include ample lab space for new as well as for existing faculty members, as well as spaces to foster collaboration and cross-pollination.”
The new facility comes from an effort to continue making strides in quantum research, according to Morrill. It is “designed to create a focal point for the new research and educational efforts on campus.”
“The timing to be investing in [the quantum physics] field is excellent given the recent advances and the remarkable opportunities that are just ahead in terms of exciting fundamental science and potential applications,” Dr. Ali Yazdani, co-director of the Princeton Quantum Initiative, told the ‘Prince.’
In December 2023, a breakthrough by Princeton physicists successfully entangled molecules for the first time.
Princeton has always been a leader in the field of quantum physics, and the new Quantum Institute looks to help the University become a place where further breakthroughs can occur. The building will not just house the physics department, but it will also serve as the new home for Princeton’s four main areas of quantum research: Quantum Systems Experiment, Quantum Systems Theory, Quantum Materials Science, and Quantum Computer Science.
The new facilities will come at the cost of Princeton’s baseball and softball fields, forcing each team to the opposite side of Lake Carnegie. While the Clarke and Strubing Fields are within walking distance of the main campus, both teams will soon have to find other ways to get to their practices and games.
Clarke Field has witnessed over 500 Tiger baseball wins in 63 years, while Strubing Field has welcomed Princeton softball since 2019. Both teams have had to move due to campus construction in the past and will have to relocate once again.
Clarke Field was built after the previous baseball field, University Field, was designated for removal due to the construction of the E-Quad in 1965.
“It’s pretty unfortunate that we have to move our field across campus, leaving us even farther away from the rest of campus,” Kim explained.
While the majority of non-conference baseball games are played away from Princeton, Clarke Field hosts a full slate of Ivy League games and also serves as a practice facility. “Clarke Field is more than just a place for us to play; moving the field takes away much of the sentiment connected with it as well,” Kim wrote.
The softball team is moving for the second time in five years after their previous Class of 1895 Field was removed for the construction of Yeh College and New College West.
Strubing Field opened in the fall of 2019 and is a full-turf field with a newer digital scoreboard. While it was an upgrade from the previous smaller dirt field, Strubing Field wasn’t meant to be a long-term replacement for the Class of 1895 Field.
“I know that our new stadium is currently being built. The field [that we] currently have was always supposed to be a temporary field,” infielder Allison Ha ’25 wrote to the ‘Prince.’
Allison Ha is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Both teams will finish out their 2024 seasons at their current fields and begin preparations to move after the season concludes.
Tate Hutchins is an associate Sports editor and contributing News writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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