Ballpark History
On May 18, 2005, Groundbreaking ceremonies were held at the future site of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Located on the campus of Penn State University, the ballpark became the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified baseball stadium in the world. The certification, which is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, is a third-party certification program and the nationally-accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
For more information on Medlar Field at Lubrano Park's LEED Certification, click here.
The Spikes and Penn State University collaborated on a unique and mutually-beneficial working relationship with the building of the new state-of-the-art ballpark. The Penn State varsity baseball team plays its home schedule from March through May, while the Spikes' 38-game New York-Penn League schedule runs from mid-June to September. Believed to be one of the first of its kind in the country, this unique partnership not only benefits Penn State Athletics and the State College Spikes, but also the University as a whole, the State College community and all of Central Pennsylvania.
NAMING OF THE BALLPARK
Charles "Chuck" Medlar
Penn State Baseball Coach 1963-1981
Charles "Chuck" Medlar was a fixture at Penn State for over 40 years. He served as the head athletic trainer for over 35 years, working primarily with the football team while also helping establish the foundation for the athletic training system at Penn State. He was later the head baseball coach and also served as an assistant professor of physical education.
Medlar first came to Penn State in 1938 as a three-sport athlete (football, basketball, baseball). He left in 1941 to play professional baseball and also served in the Navy during World War II. After the war and his professional career, Medlar returned to PSU and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees. Upon graduating in 1946, Medlar was hired as an athletic trainer, where he worked under four head football coaches: Bob Higgins, Joe Bedenk, Rip Engle and Joe Paterno. While in this role, he also served as an assistant baseball coach.
As a head baseball coach from 1963-1981, Chuck Medlar compiled a 312-141-6 record in his 19 seasons as head coach. He coached four All-Americans, 16 All-Region honorees, 14 Major League draft picks, and led the Nittany Lions to two College World Series appearances. The first appearance came in Medlar's first year as head coach in 1963, and once again in 1973, which is the last time Penn State made a College World Series appearance. In 2000, Chuck was inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Training Hall of Fame, which honored not only his work with Penn State, but also his work with the U.S. Olympic Team in 1952, 1964, and 1968. Medlar passed away in 1999 at the age of 81.
Anthony P. Lubrano
Penn State Class of 1982
Anthony P. Lubrano, a 1982 graduate of Penn State, named the ballpark in honor of Chuck Medlar's outstanding career as a leader of student-athletes.
Lubrano's $2.5 million donation to Penn State got the construction of the ballpark underway, and his gift in conjunction with other private donations, state and university funds and the Spikes involvement brought Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to fruition.
Lubrano was a magna cum laude graduate of the Smeal College of Business with a B.S. in accounting. After receiving his CPA, Lubrano spent eight years with the investment banking firms of Goldman Sachs and First Boston. He was relocated to Tokyo while working with First Boston. During his time in Japan, he helped coordinate First Boston Asia Ltd.'s successful application to become a member of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
In 1989, Lubrano returned to the United States and started his current firm, A.P. Lubrano & Company, Inc. Lubrano currently serves as the President and CEO of the firm. A.P. Lubrano & Company currently has nearly 6,000 clients in 46 states and manages over $250 million in assets with emphasis in the areas of investment services and group benefits.
In 2012, Lubrano was elected to the Penn State University Board of Trustees.
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