"The Oregon Ducks officially became the envy of every other softball team on the planet Thursday when it showed off its new $17 million Jane Sanders Stadium," said ESPN sports after the women's team opened the season with a win over Stanford. The article's headline was: "Oregon Ducks new softball digs have jaws dropping from here to there to everywhere!"

Ballpark Digest, a national trade publication for sports stadiums, was just as complimentary: "Jane Sanders Stadium certainly stands out in the world of college softball - or college baseball, for that matter - with a distinctive design and lots of amenities."

Designed by SRG and built by Howard S. Wright Construction, the University's primary goal for Jane Sanders was a stellar player and fan experience. According to U of O players and staff, as well as fans, the project is a home run.

For Koral Costa, a senior who won three straight Pac-12 championships with the Ducks at old Howe Field, seeing her new home facility was almost unbelievable.

"There's not a bad spot to take a photo in this place, it's so picturesque," Costa said. "Now to bring in recruits, it will be so big for us. Some of the other schools have always had an advantage on us with the little sandlot we used to have. Now we have this place. It will be huge going forward."

U of O Athletic Director Rob Mullens concurred. "Jane Sanders Stadium delivers on the vision of an exceptional student-athlete experience and an outstanding fan experience."

The stadium includes 1,500 permanent seats, suites, and a 12-by-36-foot video scoreboard. The grandstands are covered by a v-shaped canopy, evocative of Duck wings, whose underside is detailed in wood cutouts that mimic home plate.

The team will have access to a sparkling new locker room, with yellow glass showers and each locker featuring a player's name etched into a large wooden handle. The locker room is attached to a new player lounge, with a kitchen, a large study area, leather couches and a giant TV. Down the hall are new state-of-the-art treatment and equipment rooms, with coaches' offices and a film room upstairs. An indoor player development center, located inside the Team Building, is accessible by keycard at all hours for players, who can record their drills and playback the footage on big-screen TVs.

Fan reaction to the new ballpark has been striking. The Ducks, offering season tickets to softball for the first time ever, have sold out all 1,500 seats for the entire year!