Sarge Frye Field prepped for demolition

Work crews were dismantling parts of Sarge Frye Field on Monday - in preparation for the demolition of the old USC baseball facility in late February or early March.

Advertising signs were stripped from the outfield fence and workers had taken down part of the fence in right field by late morning. The scoreboard remained, but the sign on it identifying Sarge Frye Field was gone.

The demolition of Sarge Frye and two other buildings in the Roost complex will take approximately three to four weeks, said USC athletics spokesman Steve Fink.

The demolition of the "Sarge" is part of USC's ongoing efforts to transform the Roost area into an athletics village modeled after the university's Horseshoe. The $13 million Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center is scheduled to open next month, and work is expected to begin around the end of March on a parking garage nearby

Workers using forklifts began hauling off the dugout benches, while others were pulling up the remaining bleacher seats. A few weeks ago, construction crews took down the light poles. The outfield is full of tire tracks from the demolition work.

USC's baseball team moved out of Sarge Frye Field after the 2008 season for a new home near the Congaree River.

- Sammy Fretwell

This story was originally published December 22, 2009 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Sarge Frye Field prepped for demolition."