McWhorter Center for Women's Athletics

Auburn enters its fourth full season at newly renovated Jane B. Moore Field, home to Tiger softball.

Auburn is coming off a program-best 26-5 record at Jane B. Moore Field in 2005. Auburn's 50-18 overall record last season enabled the Tigers to host their first ever NCAA Regional. More than 2,500 fans witnessed the three-day tournament at the picturesque stadium.

The Tigers have utilized their home field advantage, going 74-29 at Jane B. Moore Fieldsince 2002. Since playing their first game at scenic Jane B. Moore Field in 1998, Auburn has posted a .607 winning percentage.

"Jane B. Moore Field has become a real benefit to our program," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Hosting an NCAA Regional in 2005 was a great step for us. It shows how much we love our complex."

The Tigers played their first full season at the modern Moore Field in 2003, and, in 2004, went 19-5 en route to an NCAA Regional appearance.

The final phase of the softball complex, completed prior to the 2003 season, added 1,400 seats, a concession area, indoor batting cages and a state-of-the-art press box with two luxury boxes.

The Tigers started playing at the facility on April 24, 1998, when they played their first home game at the new on-campus field. The Tigers hosted Georgia, also making it the first SEC game played at the facility. Junior Kim Blair recorded the first hit for the Tigers while senior Ashley Camp drove in Blair for the first run at the new park. 1999 marked the first full season the field was in use. Prior to the new complex, the team played its games at the Auburn city complex.

"The Auburn Complex was adequate," Deese said. "It just wasn't ours. It didn't offer the stadium-type environment that we want to have."

The dream of an on campus facility, which began when softball was added as an intercollegiate, sport started to take form in November of 1996, when the Board of Trustees approved a bid from French and Associates Landscape Architects for the construction of phase one which was intended to include the actual playing surface. French and Associates was responsible for the design and construction of Golden Park in Columbus, Ga., which was host to the 1996 NCAA Women's College World Series and the 1996 Summer Olympic Games Softball competition.

The firm was also responsible for the construction of the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, including its centerpiece, the South Commons Stadium, which was the host to the SEC tournament from 1997-2000. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new complex were held on August 4, 1998, on a plot of land adjacent to the intramural fields, in an area of campus that would eventually be home to the women's sports complex, the McWhorter Center. The complex houses offices for soccer, softball and gymnastics, and also contains the gymnastics team's practice area.

Phase one of the softball complex consisted of the construction of the playing field, including the outfield fences, bullpens, dugouts, and restroom facilities and a state-of-the-art scoreboard.

"We are extremely excited about having a facility of our own. It is hard to be competitive in the SEC without your own on-campus complex," said Deese.

During 1997, the league's inaugural season of softball, six of the eleven sponsoring schools had stadiums. That list included brand new facilities at Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi State. In addition to the obvious recruiting benefits, the complex offers other benefits to the Tigers as well.

The plans for the facility called for it to resemble a scaled down version of the home of Auburn Baseball, Samford Stadium and Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park. Permanent seating for 1,500 was built in phase two of the project. The Auburn Softball Complex was renamed Jane B. Moore Field in 2002 in honor of Dr. Jane Moore who served more than 20 years as a member of Auburn's Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics. It was dedicated on April 26, 2003.