Skip Wilson Field
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Home to the Owls since its debut on March 25, 2004, Skip Wilson Field is one of the region’s finest venues for collegiate baseball. Temple christened the field with a 6-2 win over the University of the Sciences. The field was dedicated on May 15, 2004 and has a seating capacity of 1,000.
Measuring 330 feet down the lines and 400 feet to dead center, the field is one of three venues in the Ambler Sports Complex, joining the softball and men’s and women’s soccer teams, which also play their home games at Temple’s Ambler campus. Groundbreaking for the Temple Intercollegiate Athletics Fieldhouse took place on September 21, 2004 and was completed during the 2005 season. The building features locker rooms, training facilities, and coaches offices. Future plans also include stadium seating and a press box.
The field was named for long-time head coach James “Skip” Wilson on May 15, 2006. Wilson, who led the Owls to two College World Series appearances and compiled 1,034 wins in 46 seasons, retired in August, 2005. He guided Temple to 14 NCAA Tournaments and 10 conference championships during his tenure.
Wilson, 76, is the winningest coach in Temple history, regardless of sport, and captured his 1,000th win on March 14, 2004 when the Owls defeated Manhattan, 10-9. He finished his career with a record of 1,034-824-27 (.556) and ranks 29th in NCAA history in victories (at the beginning of the 2006 season). Of the coaches ahead of him, only three—Bob Morgan (Indiana), Bob Hannah (Delaware) and Bob Warn (Indiana State)—are from Northern schools.
“It is fitting that the Temple baseball field will forever be known as Skip Wilson Field,” Director of Athletics Bradshaw said. “His name was synonymous with Temple baseball for nearly a half-century and future generations of Owl players will always remember the man that spent countless number of innings guiding the Cherry and White.”
The veteran mentor had a wealth of success during the 1970s. He led Temple to two College World Series appearances in 1972 (third place) and 1977 (eighth) and earned four more NCAA bids during the decade. The Owls won the Middle Atlantic Conference title in 1972 and 1973 and captured four straight East Coast Conference championships from 1975-1978
