New indoor training facility will provide year-round development opportunities for Knights baseball players
Marian University baseball players will soon have a dedicated space to train and sharpen their skills year-round with the new Gar and Lisa King Baseball Performance Center.
During Homecoming festivities, the university celebrated the facility's dedication, bringing together baseball coaches, current student-athletes, and alumni before the Knights' football game against Indiana Wesleyan University.
The center honors Gar King, a former Marian baseball player and 1991 graduate, and his wife, Lisa. Gar was inducted into the university's Knight M-Club Wall of Fame in 2025.
With interior construction still underway, the facility will feature four batting cages and additional training amenities once completed. It will give baseball players more opportunities to practice in any weather while reducing scheduling conflicts with other athletic programs.
Head coach Todd Miller said the team has long faced limited indoor training space and has relied primarily on a single batting cage in Claire Gym.
The new center will provide greater flexibility for individual skill development and team practices throughout the year.
For senior Eli Kelly, who spoke at the dedication ceremony, the facility represents another opportunity to strengthen the relationships that define the baseball program.
"The barn is just another area where we continue to bond and get after it together," Kelly said.
Beyond its practical benefits, Miller said the investment carries a responsibility to build on the program's success and develop student-athletes who reflect Marian's values.
"It's our responsibility to honor that investment, not simply by winning baseball games, but by developing young men who represent the university with character, humility, discipline and gratitude," Miller said.
The Homecoming dedication brought together generations of Marian baseball players to celebrate the program's history and the opportunities the new facility will provide for current and future Knights.