CLEVELAND, Mississippi - Two projects set to enhance the legacy of Delta State University baseball for years to come will come full circle this Saturday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m., as DSU officially dedicates Tim and Nancy Harvey Baseball Stadium at Ferriss Field, while unveiling a statue in honor of legendary head coach and Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer Dave "Boo" Ferriss, the patriarch of the program and field that bears his name.

"We are excited to see the impact the new stadium is going to bring to our program, fans and community," DSU head coach Mike Kinnison said. "Tim Harvey was a teammate and we have always talked about how he could make a lasting legacy to our program. Thankfully, he and Nancy graciously made the lead gift to see the stadium renovation become a reality. At the same time, we wanted to find a way to properly honor coach Ferriss's illustrious career. It was determined the best way to do that would be to place a statue in his honor at the new stadium."

Saturday's event will coincide with DSU baseball's biannual reunion. With over 350 former players, coaches and diamond girls set to return to campus, Saturday's dedication ceremony will be one of the highlights of the year.

"Saturday will be a very special day in the history of our department," DSU director of athletics Ronnie Mayers said. "So many people have come together to make these two projects a success and we expect to see tremendous returns from Harvey Stadium at Ferriss Field, and we already know the impact coach Ferriss has had on collegiate baseball, but on our entire state."

The program will begin promptly at 2 p.m. and will feature coach Ferriss, the Harvey's, President Bill LaForge and Rick Cleveland of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

ABOUT HARVEY STADIUM AT FERRISS FIELD
What can we expect from the new Harvey Stadium at Ferriss Field? This venue will be a tremendous asset for many years to come. Recruiting is the most important thing we do here to contribute to a championship culture. This addition will not only enhance the recruiting experience, but the game day experience for our community, fans, and players. The overview of the project is for a completely new elevated seating area that will house 500 chair-back seats in the main concourse spanning from dugout to dugout. Handicap accessibility and seating is included. The upper level will feature a new press box with expanded broadcast booths and better storage. The stadium seating area will also be enclosed entirely with brick. The last phase of the project will provide new, relocated ground level dugouts with restrooms and storage.

The stadium was designed by Larry Singleton of Singleton Architects of Jackson, Mississippi. Roy Collins Construction was chosen to build the venue under the direction of lead supervisor Steve Davis. Southern Bleacher of Dallas, Texas, was selected to install the new chairback seats. 

Legendary Mississippi artist Kim Sessums of Brookhaven, who designed the C-Spire Ferriss Trophy for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, was commissioned to create the Ferriss statue. Sessums is renowned for his sculpture work, including legendary University of Mississippi head football coach John Vaught, evangelist Billy Graham, and storyteller Eudora Welty. In 2004, the Mississippi Senate recognized Sessums with a resolution for his African-American Monument, A Civil War Tribute, at the Vicksburg National Military Park.

The Ferriss statue will sit directly behind home plate on the backside of the stadium and will stand over 10' tall once installed on the marble base.