Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field at Gene Stephenson Park
Home of the nationally prominent Wichita State University Shocker men’s baseball team, Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field at Gene Stephenson Park is considered one of the premier stadiums in NCAA baseball. When Athletic Director Ted Bredehoft revived baseball in 1978, WSU had no facilities for practices or games. After considerable evaluation of possible sites, the golf course driving and practice range was selected, a decision not popular with golfers. El Dorado Lake Reservoir was under construction at the time, and the earth moving contractor agreed to grade the new field on Saturdays as a donation, but he declined to haul the dirt from the site. University architect Bill Harrison turned the problem into a happy solution when he suggested using the dirt to form what has become famous as the outfield hill. A flatbed trailer holding a few bleachers was parked behind a newly erected backstop, the infield was covered with Astroturf, and Shocker Field was ready for play. In the next few years, E.W. Johnson Construction Co., a firm that has erected many campus buildings, converted a couple of concrete box-culvert units into dugouts. More bleacher seats were added and a scoreboard -- at the time the largest in college baseball -- was erected. In 1984-85, lights, 3,000 grandstand seats, a press box, offices, a concessions stand, and public restrooms were constructed. In 2020, the stadium got another major renovation with brand new turf, a state-of-the-art locker room, media room, weight room, athletic training area, player lounge, and offices for coaches and staff. The stadium is named for longtime baseball supporter, Wichita auto dealer Rusty Eck. The field is named for former Shocker pitcher and developer Ron Tyler. In 2024, "at Gene Stephenson Park" was added to honor WSU's legendary Shocker baseball coach.