Nestled at the heart UVA’s Athletics Precinct, which features many stadia designed by VMDO, Palmer Park provides a new game-day stadium and training facility that elevates UVA’s softball program and women’s sports. Named after standout pitcher Lisa Palmer, Palmer Park is the first competition site at UVA to be named after a female athlete.

This facility allows the team to work together in one location for training, practice, and play. Designed in partnership with DLR Group, the architectural language of Palmer Park draws from its immediate neighbors and the rich history and legacy of UVA’s Grounds. Brick is the predominant material of the constructed edges on Massie and Copeley Roads. Stone site walls form a base for the building and help negotiate the grades at the entrance. The lightweight roof hovers above the concourse and press box, partially sheltering the grandstands and supporting the backstop netting.

The facility features an indoor player development center, locker room, team lounge, training room, press box and meeting spaces among other amenities. The ballpark features both chairback and grandstand seating behind home plate, grass hillside seating down the right field line and a berm for patrons beyond the outfield wall. The player development center features three batting cages and a dedicated pitching lane along with additional instructional space. The space can also be used for infield practice with the cages retracted. Beneath the main concourse of the stadium sits the locker room, team lounge, training room, equipment room, and meeting spaces.