The ‘Road to Storrs’?

UConn’s Elliot Ballpark could play host to high school championships, NCAA regionals

STORRS — When the UConn baseball team played at Butler University a couple of weeks ago, the Huskies made a point to take a tour inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

As soon as he stepped inside the hallowed arena, coach Jim Penders shouted out “Hickory!” — a reference to the movie “Hoosiers,” which was filmed inside Hinkle.

For years, Hinkle hosted the Indiana high school basketball championships, providing every schoolboy hoopster in the Hoosier State at least the dream to someday play there.

Penders would like to see UConn’s sparkling Elliot Ballpark become a similar destination for Connecticut’s high school baseball players.

“There’s something to be said for having that iconic venue in the minds of every kid that swings a bat in Connecticut,” Penders said. “The high school basketball players talk about the ‘Road to Mohegan.’ I want the ‘Road to Storrs.’ ”

And so, there was Penders a couple of weeks ago, just a couple of hours before UConn’s bout with Yale, giving Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) officials a guided tour of Elliot Ballpark.

“We were impressed,” said CIAC Director of Media John Holt, one of four officials who toured the facilities. “Definitely, UConn has a lot of appeal.”

Holt pointed to the Rizza Performance Center and amenities like indoor batting cages, locker rooms for players and umpires, etc., that help make it attractive.

The goal right now is hopefully to host a few state semifinal games over the next few years, though likely not this spring. The state championship finals are a different story. With the CIAC having recently extended its agreement with the Town of Middletown to host the state championship finals at Palmer Field another five years, it’s unlikely those games will be held at Elliot before then.

Other teams and summer leagues have asked to use the new, $40 million facility over the past couple of years. Ultimately, however, the goal is for Elliot to be a special place for Connecticut baseball, where only high school championships and UConn baseball are played.

In fact, the CIAC is also exploring its softball championships to be held at neighboring Burrill Family Field in the near future, as well.

REGIONALS A POSSIBILITY?

Of course, high school championships aren’t the only tournament games Penders would like to see hosted by Elliot Ballpark, which will be formally dedicated on Saturday at 12:15 p.m., prior to the Huskies’ 1:05 p.m. game with Xavier.

UConn would love to be one of 16

Jeff Jacobs / Hearst Connecticut Media UConn’s Elliot Ballpark, the Huskies’ new baseball facility. UConn coach Jim Penders said “High school basketball players talk about the ‘Road to Mohegan.’ I want the ‘Road to Storrs.’ ”

Penders