Robin Roberts Stadium at Lanphier Park is a stadium in Springfield, Illinois. It is primarily used for

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

. It originally opened in 1928 as Reservoir Stadium (name references to water reservoir located on what is now Lanphier High School) and was renovated in 1977. It holds 5,200 people. The stadium was renamed after Robin Roberts (1926–2010), a Hall-of-Fame pitcher and a graduate of Lanphier High School who was Springfield's most accomplished ballplayer, in 1976. From 1972 to 1979, the

NCAA Division II baseball tournament The NCAA Division II baseball tournament is an annual college baseball tournament held at the culmination of the spring regular season and which determines the NCAA Division II college baseball champion. The initial rounds of the tournament are ...

was held at Lanphier. The field has been home to a number of minor league teams. The AAA

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

Springfield Redbirds played there from 1978 to 1981. Two affiliates in the Class-A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

also called Lanphier home; the

Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They compete as a member of the Texas League's North Division. The Cardinals began play in 2005. The team is owned by the 11-time Major League Baseball ...

and the

Springfield Sultans Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queensl ...

, as well as an independent

Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...

team, the Springfield Capitals. Earlier teams who played intermittently at the stadium in its youth included the Class-B Springfield Senators and

Springfield Browns The Springfield Browns was a primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Springfield, Illinois between 1931 and 1950. Springfield teams played as members of the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (1931–1932), Mississippi Valley L ...

, both of the Three-I League. In December 2007 it was announced that baseball would return to Springfield, Illinois. The Springfield Sliders debuted in the CICL (

Central Illinois Collegiate League The Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL) was a collegiate wooden bat summer baseball league. It was composed of five teams from Illinois and Indiana. The CICL was founded in 1963 as a charter member of National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...

) and won the league championship in their first season. It would be the final CICL championship, as the league was disbanded and its teams (including the Sliders) became a part of the Prospect League. The stadium also sees considerable use hosting local school baseball teams including the

Lanphier High School Lanphier High School, in the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois, Springfield, is a public high school affiliated with Springfield Public School District 186. It is also the home of the John Marshall Club, a club with open membership dedicated ...

Lions, the latter of which neighbors the municipal athletic complex the stadium is situated upon. The stadium is the former home of the

Benedictine University at Springfield Benedictine University at Springfield in Springfield, Illinois was a branch campus of Benedictine University, whose main campus is in Lisle, Illinois. It offered accelerated associate, bachelor's and graduate programs through the university's Sch ...

Bulldogs baseball team.

References

Robert Morris–Springfield Eagles Minor league baseball venues Baseball venues in Illinois Sports venues in Springfield, Illinois Tourist attractions in Springfield, Illinois Sports venues completed in 1928 1928 establishments in Illinois Defunct Midwest League ballparks {{Illinois-baseball-venue-stub