PORTLAND, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Huston Sports Complex project on Thursday, July 27. 
 
President Robin Holmes-Sullivan, Director of Physical Education & Athletics Mark Pietrok and other dignitaries from Lewis & Clark and Benchmark Contracting Inc. met to officially celebrate the beginning of the physical work on the two fields. 
 
Over the next five months, the baseball and softball fields will go under a massive transformation. Both fields, which are currently grass-and-dirt surfaces, will be replaced with state-of-the-art turf playing fields, along with new backstops, fences and signage. The project is set to conclude before the start of both teams' 2024 seasons. 
 
"This was a great moment for our student-athletes, staff, alumni and fans," Pietrok said. "We've been dreaming about this project for a long time now, so it was great to officially get shovels in the ground and kick off the construction phase. 
 
We couldn't have done this without the support of the Lewis & Clark Administration. The new Huston Sports Complex is going to be a tremendous facility that will provide a better experience for our student-athletes and give our teams the chance to practice and play more games on their home fields."