ENID, OK - David Allen Memorial Ballpark in downtown Enid had been named top baseball field in western Oklahoma by the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association. The ballpark was selected by the eight OBCA regional representatives, and the honor was announced by Enid High School head baseball coach Brad Gore, who currently serves as president of the coaches association.
Gore said the top ball field award is a huge compliment to the work of Scott Pendleton, who has been ballpark superintendent and field manager since the facility first opened in 1999.
“This is a tribute to Scott Pendleton’s efforts with the field and facilities,” Gore said. “He is a true Enid guy. He takes a lot of pride in what he does.”
Oklahoma high school coaches have been familiar with the David Allen as site of the Oklahoma State Baseball Games the last three years. The Enid ballpark also hosts the Gladys Winters Tournament, a spring invitational featuring some of the best teams in Oklahoma Class 6A (largest enrollment) high schools. David Allen Ballpark also was site of the 2015 Class 6A State Baseball Tournament, a rare move outside a metro site.
Bill Mayberry, director of the ballpark since it first opened, praised the generosity of Enid philanthropists Paul and Joan Allen, parents of the ballpark’s namesake, who have invested substantial time and money in building, operating and improving the ballpark.
“Thanks to Paul and Joan, we have one of the best amateur baseball parks in the nation, and certainly one of the best for high school players,” Mayberry said.
“Twenty-three years ago, we thought we would just play some high school ball and American Legion ball in the summers,” Mayberry said. That vision has grown incredibly. Since 2009, David Allen Memorial Ballpark has been host for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 2 World Series, a 10-day end-of-season tournament that involves college teams from all over the nation. The ballpark is home field for the Enid High School Plainsmen, Northern Oklahoma College-Enid Jets, and the Connie Mack Enid Majors. It also hosts the spring Merrifield Invitational Tournament for area high school teams. It has been site of occasional NCAA collegiate baseball games plus the NCAA D2 Great American Conference Tournament.
The ballpark, built in what once was a decaying commercial/industrial area, also has been the site of numerous community activities not directly related to sports, including concerts, movie nights, United Way and 4R Kids events, Candy Cane Cash drawings, a large Pride in America rally and even a wedding last October.
The artificial turf infield and natural grass outfield also can be configured for softball and youth baseball games. The ballpark popular with teams and fans, hosting as many as 414 games per year.
