University of Connecticut Athletics
New BSB Stadium to be Elliot Ballpark
4/24/2019 10:42:00 AM | Baseball
STORRS --- For Doug Elliot, it was love at first sight.
Sitting in the stands at Middletown's Palmer Field and watching the UConn baseball team compete in the 1977 NCAA playoffs, the Danbury High School athlete felt an undeniable connection.
"They just did everything first class," Elliot explained. "The infield/outfield throws were crisp, the fielding was sharp, they played with confidence and poise … it was just so impressive."
More than 40 years, a marriage (Sheila), a family (Doug and Jaclyn) and a highly-successful business career later, his connection has not only endured, it has grown stronger. It has spanned the UConn baseball careers of both Elliot (1979-82) and his son, Doug (2007-11), countless hours watching games and a virtual lifetime of program support, both publicly and behind the scenes.
The connection will live far into the future with the announcement that the UConn Board of Trustees has approved the naming of the new on-campus baseball facility in Elliot's honor. The 1,500-seat facility, under construction now and scheduled to open in the spring of 2020, will be known as Elliot Ballpark.
"We are excited and proud that the Board of Trustees has approved the naming of our new baseball facility in honor of the Elliot family," said UConn athletics director David Benedict. "Doug and Sheila Elliot's longtime commitment and strong support have greatly contributed to the success of our baseball program. As a former baseball student-athlete himself and the father of another, Doug is a wonderful example of remaining a part of the UConn family. It is fitting that future baseball Huskies will play on a field that bears his name."
Elliot, president of the Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., has been a driving force behind the decades-long effort to construct a new on-campus home for the baseball Huskies. It is the latest successful product of his longtime association with his alma mater, in general, and the baseball program, in particular.
"It's UConn --- Husky spirit gets in your fabric and never lets go," Elliot said. "I played there, met Sheila there, received a terrific education and had an incredible life experience along the way. Then I had a front row seat as Doug had a similar positive experience as do many of our student athletes who wear the Hook C. That we were able to go through it together as a family was very special."
The longtime dream was a home field worthy of the program.Â
"What was swirling in my mind for the last few years was how to get this (new facility) over the finish line," Elliot said. "I'm not sure we realize how fortunate we are that the Husky baseball foundation Andy Baylock and his predecessors built and that Jim Penders has now taken to the next level, is just incredible and has become a well-respected, national program. With the facility limitations Jim has faced, the success of our program is even more amazing. Our players and program have earned the right to have a first-class facility. That's why, in the end Sheila and I wanted to do what we could do to change that dynamic with our lead financial gift.  Husky baseball runs deep inside our family and so the ability to give back a small token of what we have received is a blessing.
Elliot, a 1982 UConn graduate with a degree in accounting, met his wife Sheila, also a 1982 UConn grad, while in school at Storrs.  Elliot, went on to earn an insurance executive degree from the Wharton School of Business. Elliot has served on the Hartford Hospital Board of Directors over the past 16 years, the last 7 as Chairman while also being active in numerous community initiatives over the years.  In 2004, he was voted into the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame and he received the prestigious Red O'Neil Award from the UConn Club in 2006. In 2017, Elliot was the UConn School of Business commencement speaker.
His labor of love, however, has been his tireless efforts on behalf of the Huskies' baseball program, including as a founding member of the Dugout Club in 1991, the UConn baseball support group which has grown from 19 original members to more than 500.
"Doug has been an unbelievable mentor, confidant, friend and supporter," UConn coach Jim Penders said. "Very early on after I got the job, I was looking for 'How can we make this better?' and he agreed that we had to build a new facility. It's been a long time and he and Shelia have been with me every step of the way. They have been such generous supporters in many ways, including emotionally. And I think Sheila, might be a bigger fan than Doug. They are just fantastic people."
Elliot was a solid, three-year varsity player under Coach Andy Baylock, hitting a career .285 with 7 homers and 48 RBIs, including a .339 average in 1980. Son Doug, playing four years under Penders, had a career .298 average with 7 homers and 79 RBIs and caught 55 games in 2011 as the Huskies made a run toward Omaha, losing to eventual National Champion South Carolina in the Super Regionals. Both Elliots were honored by their teammates by being named the Lawrence R. Panciera MVP, the only UConn baseball award selected by a vote of the players themselves.
"I have lifelong friends that I shared the dugout with for four years, through thick and thin," Elliot said. "There was a kinship, a bond that was just special. It's an important part of the reason we have always felt so connected to the school."
Elliot Ballpark will be located just off Calhoun Way, across the street from J.O. Christian Field, the Huskies' current home. The three-sided stadium will feature 1,500 seats, artificial turf, upgraded drainage, lights, a video scoreboard and suites. The home locker room will be equipped with showers, lavatories and a players' lounge, while the adjoining building will house the coaches' offices. It will clearly be one of the finest college baseball venues in the Northeast.
"As we get closer, it's an unbelievable feeling," Elliot said. "I've walked the property with Coach Penders and initially it was hard to imagine, but now as construction moves along, you can get a real sense of what the future holds. As I look back over 40 years and realize what this program has meant to me, I'm thankful for the leadership of David Benedict, Director of Athletics, and President (Susan) Herbst for helping to make it a reality. We will have a stadium that represents the best of what UConn Baseball stands for –- and the future is very bright."
