On Tuesday, UConn baseball played its final home opener at J.O. Christian Field, home for the last 51 years. Numerous Huskies greats — from head coach Jim Penders himself to George Springer and Matt Barnes to Tim Cate and Mason Feole — took the same field nestled on the fringe of UConn’s sprawling campus.
And Penders can’t wait until it’s gone.
“No,” the coach interrupted before he was even finished being asked if the final home opener at the park was a bittersweet day. “I’ve got fond memories here. I came here as a little kid but the memories aren’t going to go away.