Baseball stadium is defined by stone

When it came time to build a new baseball seating area at the Community College of Southern Nevada's Henderson Campus, standard aluminum bleachers just would not suffice. And after a collaborative effort that included innovation, generosity, community and Nevada's natural resources, Lied Field was outfitted with a striking stone amphitheater that gives the team an imposing presence against visiting schools.

â€œThe students call it 'Bedrock,' â€œ said Tim Chambers, the schools athletic director and baseball manager. The stadium, which seats 2,500, became possible thanks in part to trustee Christina Hixson of the Lied Foundation, a philanthropic organization which has donated funds to several schools through the country. Thanks to their donations, as well as Las Vegas Rock, which donated the stone, the school was able to create a major presence for its talented baseball team, which won the 2003 Junior College National Championship.

A total of 4,000 tons of meta-quartzite were used to create the stands behind home plate, which continue up both base lines. The stone was quarried by Las Vegas Rock, which operates a quarry outside of Goodsprings, NV, a short drive from the city lights of Las Vegas. The stone is used in a rough, random format, which meets the unique design goals of the project. Visitors can literally feel the â€œweightâ€ of the structure as they approach the bleachers, giving the field a major presence on campus.

The pieces varied in size, based on their final application. Some of the stones were as large as 5 x 7 feet in size, with random thicknesses ranging from 2 to 4 feet. Smaller pieces were also used for elements such as stair treads and planters. Due to the size of the blocks, an excavator was brought in to move the stones into place.

After the stone was set, the voids were pumped with cement to fill every void for extra stability. In all, Lied Field required a total of four months of construction.