UO E-clips, Jan. 31

UO hopes to share home with Eugene Emeralds (Associated Press in the News-Review): The University of Oregon and the Eugene Emeralds are close to a deal that would have the minor-league baseball team play its home games at the school’s new stadium beginning in 2010. Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny told the Register-Guard newspaper the deal has been reached with 90-percent certainty. He said some details need to be resolved among the university, the Emeralds and the city of Eugene. The university is bringing baseball back after dropping it as a varsity sport in 1981. On Wednesday, the university said the athletic department has permission to build a park next to Autzen Stadium.

Oregon unveils Duck baseball's Field of Dreams (Daily Emerald): With snow on the ground and rain clouds in the sky, Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny suggested it wasn't the most fitting day to unveil Oregon's plans for a new baseball stadium. "The weather's not the same as in Southern California," Kilkenny joked to baseball coach George Horton during yesterday's press conference. "I lied to you." Still, the prospect of a $15 million stadium was reason enough for Horton not to worry too much about rainy weather. It's what was promised to him when he accepted the job. "Obviously I'm very excited about today," Horton said. "I have chills about the excitement about a new phase of Oregon baseball.

UO makes its pitch with new ballpark figures (The Oregonian): The University of Oregon announced Wednesday that President Dave Frohnmayer had given the athletic department permission to build a baseball park, costing $12 million to $15 million, in the northeast parking lot at Autzen Stadium. Athletic director Pat Kilkenny appeared at a 3 p.m. news conference with city officials and representatives of the Eugene Emeralds, a San Diego Padres Class A affiliate. Under a tent erected where officials hope home plate will be, Kilkenny said private donations will underwrite the project. The athletic director himself has donated a significant portion of the $6 million already pledged toward the 5,000-seat baseball stadium.

UO announces site for baseball park (Register-Guard): News article follows in its entirety -- The University of Oregon announced Wednesday that it intends to build its new baseball park next to Autzen Stadium. Groundbreaking for the 5,000-seat stadium could come this summer, assuming the university resolves a challenging parking issue and fund raising for the project meets expectations. The total cost of the park is expected to be about $15 million. The university also said it has reached an agreement in principal with the minor league Eugene Emeralds to move to the new park from their current home in Civic Stadium. Under the current plan, the stadium would be built in two phases. The first phase, which would open for play in March 2009, would create what Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny described as a “very utilitarian” facility with an artificial turf field, dugouts, lighting and temporary seating. If all goes well, the second phase would be complete in time for the 2010 season. That would add permanent seating, sky boxes, a partial roof, concessions and other amenities.

Emeralds: Agreement removes uncertainty about playing space (Register-Guard): The uncertainty surrounding the fate of Civic Stadium no longer seems to hang over the future of the Emeralds in Eugene. The University of Oregon has reached an agreement in principle with the Elmore Sports Group, which owns the Emeralds, to have Eugene’s Class A minor-league baseball team play at its new baseball stadium beginning in the 2010 season. Oregon Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny said the deal has been reached with “90 percent certainty,” but he added that there are some details that need to be worked out among the university, the Emeralds and the city of Eugene. “I know they want to play here, and we want them to play here,” Kilkenny said. “I think we understand their needs.”

Donor funds gender studies program (Daily Emerald): Sally Miller Gearhart, among the first open lesbians to be granted tenure at a university, helped establish the women's studies program at San Francisco State University, taught some of the country's first courses with "homosexuality" in the title and spent much of her life fighting for equality. An anonymous donor -- "a good friend of Sally Miller Gearhart who really appreciates her work and contribution as an activist and scholar in the area of lesbian studies, as well as gay and lesbian activism," said Ellen Scott, director of the University's Women's and Gender Studies program - has recently established a fund in Gearhart's name to support the University's WGS program and lesbian studies therein.

Bowerman book readies city for trials (Register-Guard): Picture Eugene-Springfield on a typical Saturday. Now take away the joggers. Every one of them. All shapes and sizes. Mentally remove every trail and path created to give them a place to run. While you’re at it, erase the sneakers from the feet of thousands of other area residents of all ages. That should drive home just a few of the ways this community would be different had there been no Bill Bowerman. Which, in turn, shows why Kenny Moore’s “Bowerman and the Men of Oregon” (432 pages, Rodale, $17.95) is the perfect Readin’ in the Rain pick as Eugene prepares to host the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials this summer.