Professional softball found a temporary home on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University as the OKC Spark brought its games, players, and national exposure to Tom Heath Field.
The opportunity began when the Spark needed a facility that could serve as a consistent home throughout its season. The team previously hosted games at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, but the stadium’s busy summer schedule created challenges for the Spark.
“The opportunity came about because the SPARK were hosting at Hall of Fame Stadium, but they were forced to set up and take down all of their infrastructure each day because of everything HOF was hosting all summer long,” Oklahoma Christian Athletic Director, David Lynn, said. “So they set out to secure a partner where they could set up their stadium for the summer and make it a true home field.”
That search eventually brought the organization to Oklahoma Christian and Tom Heath Field. Oklahoma Christian’s head softball coach, Shalee Rodriguez, said she immediately saw the potential benefits of bringing professional softball to campus.
“When OKC Spark reached out I thought it was a great opportunity for our softball program, field publicity, and even university,” Rodriguez said.
For Oklahoma Christian, the partnership provided benefits beyond simply having professional athletes compete on campus. Lynn said the university saw an opportunity to support the Spark while generating additional revenue for athletic operations and increasing exposure for Oklahoma Christian.
One of the biggest forms of exposure came through nationally televised games.
“The exposure of OC’s campus and Tom Heath Field being on ESPN for 12 games was incredible,” Lynn said. “Every time they came on, it was on the campus of Oklahoma Christian at Tom Heath Field.”
For Rodriguez, seeing the field normally occupied by her college athletes transformed into a professional softball venue was especially meaningful.
“Softball has really exploded in the last few years, so seeing professional teams take Tom Heath Field and our field being advertised on ESPN is a really cool feeling for our program,” Rodriguez said.
The partnership also gave members of the Oklahoma Christian softball program an opportunity to experience professional games firsthand.
Rodriguez said several players on the Oklahoma Christian roster worked for the Spark and Athletes Unlimited Softball League during the summer. That gave them a chance to see the professional side of the sport while still playing at the collegiate level.
“Yes, we had a few players on our roster work for the OKC Spark and AUSL this summer, which was a cool opportunity for them to be a part of,” Rodriguez said.
One connection between the two programs was even closer.
Oklahoma Christian’s assistant coach, Sydney Sherrill, played for the Spark during the summer and competed in the AUSL All-Star Cup. Rodriguez said watching one of her own coaches return to the field as a professional player was her favorite part of the experience.
“I personally enjoyed the most that my assistant coach, Sydney Sherrill, got to play for OKC Spark and had a great summer playing for them and the AUSL All Star Cup,” Rodriguez said. “It was cool to see her on the other side of the game and be really successful all summer long!”
Hosting professional softball did require some adjustments for Oklahoma Christian.
Lynn credited Rodriguez, her coaching staff, and Oklahoma Christian’s softball players for cooperating with the Spark throughout the season even when the arrangement affected some of the program’s normal summer activities.
“They were certainly inconvenienced in their daily operations of camps, lessons, and operations,” Lynn said. “Coach was an incredible partner and handled everything the SPARK needed with class.”
Tom Heath Field also needed some improvements before hosting professional competitions and nationally televised games. Lynn said ESPN and the AUSL made last-minute improvements to bring the field up to professional standards.
Those changes included adjustments to pitching specifications and corrections to small imperfections in the turf. The Spark also added branding around the facility to make Tom Heath Field feel like its own home stadium.
“The SPARK did an incredible job branding and transforming our field into their home park,” Lynn said.
For Rodriguez, the experience represented something larger than just what happened at Oklahoma Christian. She believes the growth of professional softball is creating more opportunities for women in the sport and giving current college players something to work toward after their college careers end.
“Softball is simply exploding all around the world and it is awesome to be right in the middle of it,” Rodriguez said. “To see professional softball start to take off is such a great thing for women’s sports.”
Oklahoma Christian may also have more opportunities to host professional sports in the future.
Lynn said the university is open to continuing its relationship with the Spark as well as developing similar partnerships when they benefit both the university and the surrounding community.
“We are open to continuing the partnership and fostering new relationships where we meet the needs of our partners and can impact our community in a positive way,” Lynn said.
For Oklahoma Christian softball, the partnership allowed Tom Heath Field to become more than a college softball venue. It put the university on a national stage, gave members of the Oklahoma Christian softballOC program exposure to professional softball and placed the program in the middle of a growing era for the women’s game.
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