Cardinal Park to host U.S. Olympic team and Milligan

Johnson City, Tenn. (Feb. 15, 2008) --- It was announced that Cardinal Park has been selected for the site of an April 13 softball exhibition between Milligan College and the U.S. Olympic team.

There had been some concerns about getting the field prepared in time for this historic outing. Baseball games for East Tennessee State and Science Hill High School are scheduled at Cardinal Park that same week, but Johnson City Parks and Recreation Athletic Director James Ellis said the field should be ready for play.

“What we are going to do is cut out an area around second base to accommodate any sliding that may occur,” said Ellis at Milligan's McMahan Student Center. “We're going to cut out the pitching area for the Olympic team from the existing mounds. We will knock the mound down, but rebuild it prior to the game for ETSU on Wednesday. We feel very confident everything will back up and running in a safe manner.”

The entire Parks and Rec department will be asked to help with the project according to Ellis, who also serves as ASA softball state commissioner for Tennessee. He said Cardinal Park, which will have temporary fencing installed for ASA softball regulations, was chosen because it was the city's best facility to fit the desires of the game's organizers.

“Cardinal Park has the amenities that Winged Deer doesn't,” said Ellis. “We have dressing rooms, showers for the girls. We have the picnic shelters as a terrific place to have an autograph session after the game. The access is more easily controlled than Winged Deer Park. I think we've hit a major home run by being able to get Cardinal Park ready.”

Back in December, it was announced Milligan would become the first NAIA school to compete against Team USA and the only one on a 42-city tour leading up to the Beijing Olympic Games that includes exhibitions against last year's NCAA National Championship teams Arizona and Tennessee.

A two-day visit in Knoxville and Johnson City will be the Olympic team's first stop to the Volunteer State since 1992 at Chattanooga. Ellis said Johnson City happened to be at the right place at the right time to be included on the “Bound 4 Beijing Tour.”

“A lot of it is timing and the geographic area,” said Ellis. “They are coming from the Carolinas prior to visiting UT. Fortunately we latched on to it the following day because they were going to leave and go on to Alabama.

“The city has had a tremendous working relationship with ASA softball for 50-some years. That helps a lot also. They try to support the state associations who have helped them out over the years.”

For Ellis, it is a chance for local high school, middle school and youth teams to come out and see the best fast-pitch players in the world.

Milligan head coach Wes Holly has come to grips with facing the U.S. national team and its head coach Mike Candrea, a legend in the sport with eight NCAA titles and 19 College World Series appearances.

“It's not only a great opportunity for Milligan College, but the whole area,” he said. “To have the Olympic team come in here and have everyone see the best players in the world, we're very thankful. It's really been a shot in the arm for our girls preparing for practice and the season's games.”

The five-time Appalachian Athletic Conference coach of the year believes a crowd of 3,000 to 4,000 will pack the stadium for the exhibition. The only drawback has been with so much talk about the Olympic game, Holly has to remind the Lady Buffs there's still a regular schedule to play.

“Sometimes I have to remind them we can't just look to that one game,” said Holly, who has compiled 567 wins as a college coach. “Our ultimate goal is to win the conference. So we have to stay focused on every game we play. If we do that well hopefully we will be prepared when we get to this game.”

Former University of Tennessee star Monica Abbott will likely pitch at Knoxville, meaning either world-record holder Cat Osterman or the game's best-known player Jennie Finch will be the probable starter in Johnson City. Other stars include three-time Olympic gold medalists Laura Berg and Lisa Fernandez.

Milligan senior outfielder Sarah Smith knows who she most wants to face.

“I've been asked if there's one person on the team I'm most excited about playing against and I would say it's Jennie” said the former Elizabethton High School star. “She's the icon of fast-pitch softball. Some of the other ladies like Cat are coming along with the endorsements and people know Monica from UT, but anybody who's aware of fast-pitch softball at all knows Jennie.”


Even if Finch isn't in the circle, Smith talked about the excitement of being on the field with a squad being called the best women's team ever assembled.

“It's definitely an honor,” said Smith. “It was an honor just to get to play collegiate ball in my hometown. An opportunity like this, it was mind-boggling at first.”

Tickets for the game, priced at $15, are now on sale at the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce and available online at freedomhall-tn.com.