HAMMOND, La. – Already regarded as a mid-major gem by Stadium Journey (www.StadiumJourney.com), Southeastern Louisiana baseball coach Matt Riser announced several upgrades Monday that will enhance the fan experience at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field this coming season.

"College baseball is enjoying more national attention than ever with an increase of games on television and the direct result has been an investment in facilities around the country," Riser said. "We talk about being a national program on the field, but also in the experience we provide. These upgrades can help us do that."

Work is already under way on several improvements.

The right-field bleachers have been removed and will be replaced by a new party deck. The handicap-accessible structure will be split into several open-air suites with box seats fronting the deck along the foul line and individual tailgating areas in the back. A dedicated area for the popular cooking club is also being incorporated into the design.

And, restroom facilities will be completely updated, including the addition of air conditioning.

"Facilities are an arms race," athletics director Jay Artigues said. "We want to make sure we continue to upgrade all of our facilities. Last year, we upgraded softball as well as locker rooms and front offices for both the men's and women's basketball programs. We're in the middle of upgrading soccer, and now its baseball's turn. I can't wait for our fans to see these improvements."

In addition to the facility improvements, when fans return to The Pat this spring, they'll notice another major upgrade -- installation of a video scoreboard with a high-definition screen.

Private donations and fundraising through the Lions Athletics Association are funding all baseball facility work. No state funds are being used.

The upgrades come on the heels of arguably the best season in school history. Southeastern set the school record for overall wins (42-17) and the Southland record for conference wins (25-5) on the way to claiming the conference's 2015 regular-season title.

Southeastern also set a school record for attendance last season with more than 31,000 (1,071 per game average) supporting the conference champs. This season, the Lions will play 28 of their 54 games inside the friendly confines of The Pat.

"All of this is designed to boost the fan experience," Riser said. "We have something special here and wanted to keep the uniqueness, all while putting The Pat among the elite facilities in college baseball."

Season tickets will go on sale to the general public in January, but ticket information for the Lions' 28-game home slate is currently available at www.LionSports.net or by calling the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466.