CIF officials considering new Great Park baseball stadium for section finals

A look at the new baseball stadium at the Orange County Great Park.

Could the CIF baseball finals to be headed to the new Orange County Great Park Stadium, which will open Sunday, one day?

No decision has been made by CIF officials, according to Thom Simmons, assistant commissioner of the CIF.

But it seems like the matter is open for discussion.

“We toured the facility as a potential site for soccer, softball and baseball,” Simmons told OC Sports Zone Tuesday.

“The facility is incredibly impressive, however, we’ve made no determination on any finals sites in those sports going forward at this point.”

Dick Owens of the Ryan Lemmon Foundation, who is also involved in the opening of the 1,200-seat Great Park Stadium, said CIF officials indicated some interest.

“CIF is looking at it, they don’t think it fits Division 1 (standards),” Owens said. “But the lower divisions which would be two, three, four five and six, seven and eight (is possible). So I think that’s what they’re looking at.”

The first games will be held on the stadium on Sunday, Sept. 16, beginning at 10 a.m. Grand opening ceremonies including officials from the City of Irvine and Five Point will take place at 1 p.m.

The public is invited to the games and the opening ceremonies and there will be food trucks. There will be no charge for parking.

Four, two-inning baseball games will be played on the stadium with the six Irvine teams from the Pacific Coast League along with Tustin and Foothill.

Portola and University will play the first game at 10 a.m. followed by Beckman vs. Irvine, Tustin vs. Northwood and Woodbridge vs. Foothill.

“There will be two inning games and a scout ball format (each team bats six batters an inning) just to kick it off,” Owens said. “On the other three 90-foot fields, Futures League games will be played, Owens said. Twelve teams will compete in that tournament.”

The stadium is expected to be rented in the future by organizations. Baseball teams from Irvine and Tustin are expected to continue to play on their home fields.

Owens said, however, that the Ryan Lemmon Invitational Spring tournament, which will include 24 teams, will have some games played at the new stadium.

Owens said no decision has been made on whether the Ryan Lemmon Showcase will remain at Ryan Lemmon Stadium or move to the Great Park facility.

Coaches who have seen the facility have been impressed, he said.

“It’s almost like a minor league facility in a lot of ways,” Owens said.

The stadium includes four batting cages, a meeting room and press box. On the field level, there are dressing rooms on both sides where the dugouts are, coaches offices, umpire rooms and training facilities, Owens said. There is also an outfield berm area where fans can sit which could hold up to about 1,000 more fans, Owens said.