“A year ago, this place was a parking lot… now it is the home of UND softball,” Dave Albrecht proclaimed to the crowd Saturday evening.  

UND opened the doors to its new on-campus softball field and got quite the turnout on Saturday night. Lauren Morgan, Sophomore marketing intern for UND Athletics, could feel the community coming together. “My favorite thing about tonight is just seeing how many people came out,” she said.  

Cars were parked up and down University Avenue as far as the eye could see. Students, dogs, families, and what felt like everyone in the community came together Saturday night and the players felt it. “It was so exciting playing on the field and having so many people from the community here tonight,” Sophomore outfielder Kimora Johnson said after the game.  

Before game time, there was a little bit of sun, a little bit of wind, and a lot of fans in the stands. People flooded the stands long before game time. Saturday’s game was not only free entry, but there were three-dollar Busch Lights, a 50/50 raffle, Ground Round, glitter tattoos, and a photo booth. Opening day at Albrecht Field had it all.  

Walking into the stadium, one is greeted by the ginormous UND Softball logo etched into the concrete. The all-turf field is surrounded by stands resting behind home plate; the standing room only on the side of the dugouts was filled. The scoreboard beamed in left-center and the flight deck was jam packed with students.  

The festivities never stopped. Before the game started, there was a ceremonial first pitch, Dave Albrecht spoke, and both God Bless America and The Star-Spangled Banner were sung. To put the cherry on top, a helicopter and plane flew overhead.  

The UND band and cheerleaders performed and had everyone on their feet before the game. Throw in full-team introductions and hype videos on the scoreboard, and the tone was set for the night.  

“I love the new scoreboard and seeing all of the pictures and videos my teammates and I have taken… it was so amazing,” Johnson stated.  

Games like dizzy bat races and trivia between every inning kept the energy high all night at Albrecht Field.  

UND student-athletes came out in numbers to support, as athletes from almost every team could be seen. “My whole team is here… athletes support athletes,” senior soccer player Mary Gasaway stated.   

Sophomore track athlete, Tiffanie Magnusson, loved the new field and location. “Everything is beautiful, and the accessibility is amazing,” she said.   

Accessibility seemed like a major factor for the large student turnout. Senior student, Lyle Lisell, was just driving by the field when he noticed the big crowd. “I’m a senior and this is my first time coming to a softball game, but now that the field is on campus, I’ll definitely be back,” Lisell said.   

The stadiums and scoreboard lighting lit up the field late into the night, and even when the sun dropped, the fans stayed out. During the 7th inning, the amazing atmosphere took over as chants from right field came raining in, eventually fueling a UND rally.  

The game ended exactly how the night started. UND was down 2-1 in the bottom of the 7th inning. The Hawks were down to their last two outs and with two runners in scoring position, fifth-year infielder, Katie Joten, drove a line drive over the left-fielder’s head for a two-run walk-off double. UND defeated Northwest Missouri State 3-2 in its Fall League opener.  

UND’s next game will be against Northern State at Albrecht Field next Saturday at 1 p.m. 

Elijah Andrews is the Dakota Student Sports Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].