Having unveiled the Dudy Noble Master Plan in 2014, Mississippi State Athletics will soon be starting construction on what is expected to be one of the greatest ballparks in college baseball. 
The design teams of Wier Boerner Alin Architecture from Jackson, Mississippi, and Popolous, national baseball stadium experts, produced the original proposal of the field master plan. The two teams will have the construction documents ready for release by Jan. 1, which will expedite the construction process.
Associate Athletic Director and head of Facility Planning and New Contruction, Bobby Tomlinson said the goal is to have the documents ready for bidding by March 1, 2017. 
“If we get favorable pricing from those bidding, construction will start immediately after the 2017 baseball season,” Tomlinson said. 
If construction begins as planned, Dudy Noble will be renovated for the first time since 2000. The field and stadium were originally constructed in the late 1980s. 
Aside from the new construction, other Dudy Noble Stadium Projects, like the heavily anticipated jumbotron, will be ready by Jan. 1 for the upcoming season in Dudy Noble/Polk-Dement stadium. 
This HD video board is still a hot topic, considering MSU will soon be home to the largest jumbotron in not only the SEC, but all of college baseball. 
Zoe Toal-Weaver, a second-year MSU Diamond Girl, said the jumbotron is by far what she is most excited about.
“It’s going to bring a lot of good publicity to our already stellar baseball program,” Toal-Weaver said. 
Tomlinson said other new additions, including 360 degree field access and viewing, will provide the opportunities to correct technical issues that many people do not ever see.
Other new additions to expect in the finished project are upgraded field lighting and more seating in the grandstand, which will allow Polk-Dement stadium to host the largest crowds in college baseball. 
Although these additions are expected to increase attendance and add hype to the program, people like Jacob Robson, former MSU outfielder, believe this will really benefit those who are already involved in the program. 
“I think it will give us more of a professional image as we compete every year as one of the top baseball schools in the country,” Robson said.
Robson, now playing in the MLB with the Detroit Tigers organization, understands that every young baseball player’s dream is to one day play in the MLB; he said these changes will give Dudy Noble more of a “big league” atmosphere. 
Part of the big league experience comes from fan involvement, and the fans are expected to love the new stadium just as much as MSU students and those involved in the baseball program. 
Robson said the players will realize how much support they have behind their program, from the loyal fans all the way to the relentless staff who helped make this project possible.
“I believe this could result in better on field performance,” Robson said. 
Aside from current MSU baseball players, the project is also expected to draw in more interest from possible recruits, as they will be more inclined to learn about MSU’s baseball program and what sets it apart from other schools and programs across the country. 
For now, students can expect construction to begin in June, after the 2017 baseball season. Although a summer starting date means it will not be ready for the 2018 baseball season, enough construction will be finished by then, so the Diamond Dawgs will not have to relocate during the season. 
After the 2018 season comes to an end, construction will continue like normal. 
If all goes as planned, the finished project and newly-renovated Dudy Noble Field and Polk Stadium will be ready for the 2019 season.