Athletics at The Creek

The on-campus sports facilities at Muhlenberg—Memorial Hall, Scotty Wood Stadium, the Tennis Court and Varsity Field—are great venues to watch and play various varsity sports the school offers. Peers, family and members of the community can enjoy a variety of sports at some of the premier facilities in not only the conference, but all of Division III athletics.

However, not all Muhlenberg varsity sports have the convenience of participating on-campus. Cedar Creek County Park has been the home of the Muhlenberg Mules baseball team since 1987, and the ‘Berg softball team since 1996. Located approximately 2 miles from the school, The Creek fields are closer to Dorney Park than they are to Muhlenberg. Although Cedar Creek Park has been part of Muhlenberg’s baseball and softball programs for over two decades, there are some flaws that, if fixed, could make the Creek a more enjoyable experience for both the program and its followers.

One of The Creek’s biggest flaws is the lack of attendance from fans and students. There aren’t many athletes at any level of any sport who will claim they don’t enjoy playing their sport in front of hyped up fans. For baseball and softball players, getting a clutch hit, making a diving catch or striking out the opponents are the most exhilarating aspects of the game. This is especially true when one of these plays are met with the spectator’s applause. Unfortunately, for the Mules and Lady-Mules this is a rare experience.

“To be honest I can’t really think of an advantage of playing at the off campus field. There is very little support for the team since not everyone has a car or wants to leave campus to watch the game,” said Chris Grillo ‘19, the 2016 Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year. And Grillo is not the only athlete of The Creek to have this opinion. “There are a lot less fans and students coming to games because of the drive” stated Hayley Patterson ’18, a pitcher on the softball team. Looking into the crowd on a game day, players see some scattered parents, a couple of close friends of players and an occasional boyfriend or girlfriend of one of the players. This is a common sight on a Mules gameday at The Creek.

However, there was one Saturday at The Creek where the fans—and energy—was present. April 30 was Senior Day for both Creek teams and overall, Muhlenberg won three out of four games with the stands packed. The baseball team swept a double header against Johns Hopkins, a nationally ranked team and the regular season conference champions. For Senior Day, shuttles ran to Cedar Creek Field and the student turnout added a different type of energy.

Also, the travel on a daily basis is another point that the players mention as a negative of the off-campus fields. Patterson mentioned that “having to allot extra time to drive ourselves to practice” is an important aspect of the day-to-day life

of a Cedar Creek athlete. Grillo agreed, saying it is a hassle to have to lug equipment back and forth from campus to the field daily.

The neglect of the facilities is another issue Grillo mentioned when talking about The Creek’s baseball field. “I wouldn’t mind playing off campus if the field were up to standard in comparison to the rest of our conference. They are by far the lowest quality of any sports (field) at Muhlenberg,” said Grillo. Many players actually compare the baseball field at Cedar Creek Park to a high school facility. The seating and surroundings of The Creek are not appealing: rickety stands are only a few rows deep and are positioned awkwardly around the field’s perimeter. The dugouts and sound system are small and outdated.

The athletic department is aware of many of these shortcomings and challenges. Corey Goff, Muhlenberg’s Athletic Director, admitted that he doesn’t see too many positives about having off-campus sports facilities. With that said, there are logical reasons for the fields existing off-campus, because Muhlenberg is a small campus without space to build fields that require a great amount of space. “The off-campus sports facilities situation is a space allocation issue,” said Goff. Additionally, finances are another factor for the school opting to remain at The Creek. “Muhlenberg has been investigating properties in walking distance,” said Goff, but he ultimately believes that the College will invest money and space in events that the most students will take advantage.

Muhlenberg has come up with feasible solutions for other off-campus events such as shuttles to club hockey games, bowling nights and to local night clubs. These events would not be as popular as they are if students were required to drive themselves. None of the Creek athletes are asking for special treatment, but we have seen potential solutions that have been successful for similar types of activities. Reasonable and inexpensive improvements will enhance the experience of being a college athlete, and benefit those who enjoy supporting Muhlenberg athletics at The Creek.