By Kassidy Robinson
Triangle contributing writer
Wingate University’s athletic department will install new stadium lights in the school’s softball complex in early 2025 after the softball team recently received a generous gift from an anonymous donor. The university will not pay for the project; the donor will cover it entirely.
“We are hopeful that the light project will be completed by Feb. 1,” said Athletics Director Joe Reich. “Obviously, weather plays a huge factor in that. We would really like to improve the entire stadium at softball, especially the grandstands.”
The complex, now at 308 E. Wilson St., has been home to Bulldogs softball since the program’s inception. The 2025 Wingate team will be the first in school history to play its home games under the lights.
Until now, the Bulldogs have hosted both the South Atlantic Conference Tournament and the NCAA Southeast Regionals twice, drawing crowds beyond the capacity of the bleachers over the years, averaging approximately 200 fans in attendance. The lights will expand options for hosting big events.
Since the complex lacked lights throughout previous seasons, most games were played as doubleheaders (starting at around 12:30 p.m.) in hopes of beating North Carolina’s spring sunset, which usually comes around 5 p.m.
Upon completion of the lights project, the game times will likely be pushed back to allow other teams more travel time, which should mean less time missed in the classroom by student-athletes. Also, the Bulldogs will have more flexibility for practices by not having to worry about running out of daylight, thus reducing class-time conflicts.
“The lights help from a class and practice standpoint,” said Reich. “We were running into issues getting the entire team at practice at one time. Also, our softball team is really good. So having the lights helps us with playoff games, etc.”
An LED lighting supply specialist, Aram Maranian, supplied a basic four-unit sample plan the company used at a recent project. Although each project’s details and requirements are different, the setup will likely cost between $135,000 and $350,000 depending on the quality of light, the height of the poles, the number of fixtures, the size of the field and labor.
If the 400-watt LED units that produce 56,000 lumens are used, the project will require roughly 20, each costing approximately $570. If the project uses an 800-watt LED unit that produces 120,000 lumens each, each costing an estimated $1,300, it will require up to 10 units.
“It is the best thing to happen in program history,” said Katy Kahlich, a four-year member of Wingate’s softball team who graduated this year. The former outfielder and catcher from Cedar Park, Texas, is thankful for the donation to her team despite being unable to play under the lights herself.
The lights culminate the considerable progress that has been made over the last decade for the softball program. The padded wall on the outfield fence was added in 2016 for roughly $6,000. The addition of the indoor softball and baseball training center in 2023 has greatly aided the program’s growth over the past few seasons. The training facility was also funded by an anonymous alumni donor, who gifted $1.16 million to the school for the project in April 2022.
Wingate will begin its 2025 softball season on Feb. 1 at Lander in Greenwood, S.C. The Bulldogs then travel to the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., area for games with Colorado School of Mines, Barry and Nova Southeastern on Feb. 7-9.
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