Rutgers athletics and Middlesex County have entered into a partnership that will allow the state university’s baseball program to play important series and games in a new state-of-the-art multipurpose facility on the campus of Middlesex College in Edison.
Officials from the county and university announced during a joint press conference on Monday that Rutgers will play for at least three years, starting in 2026, at the soon-to-be-constructed stadium, which is part of the county’s Community, Innovation and Opportunity (CIO) Strategic Investment plan.
As part of New Jersey’s fiscal year 2023 budget process, Senator Patrick Diegnan, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak and Assemblyman Sterley Stanley secured $17 million in funding for CIO projects on the campus of Middlesex College and adjacent Thomas A. Edison Park.
Those projects include the new multipurpose facility – which can host concerts, cultural events, and other sports including soccer and lacrosse – as well as:
- A workforce development and conference center
- A new community park featuring an educational children’s amenity
- A new student center including campus and community amenities
- A new Middlesex County Magnet School to be known as the Middlesex County Magnet School of the Future
- A destination athletic complex featuring 14 multisport artificial turf fields, 16 tennis courts, a state-of-the-art recreational cricket field, and more
- An expansion of existing exterior spaces with public art, seating, and water features
Diegnan, who taught business law and accounting at Middlesex College for a decade, said the investments on campus and to adjacent grounds will benefit high school and college students, as well as athletes of all ages while stimulating the local and regional economy.
“As a former member of the faculty at the college, I can personally attest that Middlesex College knows its mission and fulfills its mission as well as any institute of higher education in our state,” said Diegnan, whose legislative district is comprised of seven Middlesex County municipalities including Edison.
“These transformative investments will enhance Middlesex County’s academic and athletic footprint while creating abundant opportunities for people of all ages.”
The partnership between Middlesex County and Rutgers Athletics is also intended to create new educational pathways for Middlesex College students. As the largest feeder college to Rutgers University, the partnership will create enhanced access to Rutgers’ esteemed curricula, invaluable mentorship opportunities, and the potential for expanded shared educational programming.
The Rutgers University baseball program, which set a single-season school record for victories in 2022 while reaching the Big Ten Conference Tournament final, will continue to play all its home games at Bainton Field for the next two seasons.
The Scarlet Knights will continue to play home games in 2026 and beyond at Bainton Field, which is scheduled to benefit from planned upgrades after recent additions of lights and a video screen.
The program’s new home at Middlesex College, located about five miles from the state university’s Livingston Campus, where the Scarlet Knights practice and play, will feature air-conditioned batting cages and pitching tunnels, well-equipped locker rooms, top-tier broadcast streaming capabilities suitable for major television and radio networks, and other amenities.
The enhancements will not only provide support to Rutgers baseball and meet the athletic standards of the NCAA and Big Ten, but also position Middlesex County and its college as a premier destination for sports and recreation in New Jersey and the region.
“It’s a great opportunity for Rutgers baseball and Middlesex County to continue to build our fan base and increase the program’s visibility across the entire state of New Jersey,” Scarlet Knights baseball coach Steve Owens said. “As is evident in this state-of-the-art facility, the county was a terrific partner in accommodating all the critical needs to be competitive and successful in the Big Ten Conference.”
Rutgers University Athletics Director Pat Hobbs called the prospect of the Scarlet Knights playing home games at the new venue, which could make for an attractive site to host an NCAA Regional, “incredibly exciting.”
“We are delighted to partner with Middlesex County to bring Big Ten baseball to this fantastic new facility,” Hobbs said. “Steve Owens and his staff have done a tremendous job developing the players in our baseball program both on and off the field. This new chapter with Middlesex County will only help Coach Owens and his team continue their pursuit of Big Ten championships and more. We will continue to explore other ways we can partner with the county, but this is a great first step.”
Former Major League Baseball All-Star Todd Frazier, a Rutgers University Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, said playing in the new venue will be an “unbelievable opportunity” for the Scarlet Knights.
“Baseball is near and dear to my heart, as everybody knows,” Frazier said. “I think about my son at 9 years old and he might have an opportunity to play in a stadium like this, and it’s pretty cool.
“Thinking about the stadium being built, not only in Middlesex County, but helping out New Jersey as well, these kinds of things don’t come easily,” Frazier said. “So, the opportunity for these young men and young women to come up and now see a stadium like this, its endless.”
Bobby Brownlie, a former first-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs who is also a member of the Rutgers University Athletics Hall of Fame, said the Scarlet Knights’ ability to play in the state-of-the-art facility will “help keep the best players home.”
“It’s going to allow kids to think twice, do I have to go to North Carolina or Virginia to play when I can play in a facility like this and get the exposure that I need,” said Brownlie, who was an All-State player at Edison High School. “I think it’s a game-changer for them recruiting-wise.”
Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios said the county’s deep relationship with the state university will continue to strengthen through its new partnership with the Scarlet Knights.
“The county’s strong fiscal position, coupled with the opportunity of significant state and federal investment in the CIO Strategic Investment Plan, gives us the advantage to seize crucial opportunities like this for the benefit of our residents and partners like Rutgers University,” Rios said.
“This is just the beginning of many more transformative and innovative changes at Middlesex College and in our county.”
Senator Patrick Diegnan 