An exterior view of Clinton’s Ashford University Field. Some notable improvements will be made inside the ballpark during the offseason. (Photo by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler)

A busy offseason is planned for Ashford University Field, with numerous renovations on tap for the home of the Clinton LumberKings.

The 80-year-old ballpark’s face lift will include a new ribbon video-board, several high-definition monitors, a freshly-painted façade, a resurfaced main concourse, and additions to the picnic area on the left-field side of the stadium. The team said all changes will be in line with the park’s existing aesthetic while enhancing the game-day experience for fans.

It is the facility’s first major renovation project since 2006, when improvements included construction of a new home clubhouse and the left-field picnic garden, as well as expansion of the right-field Lumber Lounge. The ballpark, originally known as Riverview Stadium, was built in 1937 as a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression.

The ballpark’s first ribbon video-board will be placed along the façade of the Leinenkugel’s Lumber Lounge. It will be six feet tall and 65 feet wide, and be used to show fans a variety of video content including player statistics, in-game entertainment, and advertisements.

Three 75-inch, high-definition monitors will replace old-school dry-erase boards along the outer walls of the front office, displaying the game’s lineups, league standings, and league leaders. Those outer walls are located along the to-be-repaved concourse just inside the main gates.

The Dr Pepper Picnic Garden will get new picnic benches that are supposed to dry quicker after being rained on. Starting in 2018, that area of the park also will have a Mexican food stand housed beneath a palapa hut (similar to a tiki hut, but with open sides instead of walls) and palm leaves to help give it a tropical feel.

All the improvements are expected to be finished by Clinton’s 2018 home opener on Saturday, April 7.

The Dr Pepper Picnic Garden was added to Ashford University Field in 2006. Some changes will be made to it this offseason. (Photo by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler)