Preparations underway at Slugger Field to welcome pro soccer team
Preparations are underway at Slugger Field to welcome a new pro soccer team to town.
Louisville City FC and the Louisville Bats will share the stadium this spring and summer.
Construction crews are building a new 2,000-square-foot locker room on the south end of the stadium for the soccer team.
To make the transition from baseball field to soccer pitch and back, crews are installing a retractable pitcher's mound that will raise and lower on hydraulic jacks.
"We have been able to use these projects as a recruiting tool too to show players that, 'Hey, we are going to have these locker rooms and we are going to have this beautiful stadium to play at,'" general manager Amanda Duffy said.
Team officials are also in the process of finalizing their roster and the preseason starts in less than a month.
Right now, there are 10 players under contract, but several more signings are planned.
“There is a lot going on right now and as we get closer to the season, it's not just the team getting here in Louisville, we have these projects that are being finalized that are really going to get us ready and make our season something special,” Duffy said.
For head coach James O'Connor, the started of the season can't come soon enough.
"Yeah, obviously having had a few months now of being in the office, I want to get out on the training pitch and get the players on board and get to work so we are chomping at the bit to get going ," O'Connor said.
O'Connor is from Ireland and played professionally in England for years. He said soccer is on the rise here in the states.
"You know, last season there was 14 teams this season there is 24. Next season they are projecting even more teams. The growth here has been incredible," he said. "There's a lot of momentum building around soccer and I think in the next 5 to 10 years, I think America could go on and be a world powerhouse, I really do. "
Construction on the brand new locker room is expected to be complete by the end of February.
The first preseason game kicks off for Louisville City FC on Feb. 16.
The regular season starts in late March.