Tarleton's baseball complex was dedicated to former Dean of Men and baseball coach, Cecil Ballow, on March 5, 1987. Ballow was appointed Dean of Men in 1948 and retired as Dean of Students in 1979. He was a graduate of Texas A&M and an all-conference shortstop on the Southwest Conference championship baseball team.
He was Tarleton's baseball coach for 10 years, with his most successful year coming in 1960, when the Plowboys were a runner-up for the National Junior College Championship. Ballow was selected as a Distinguished Faculty Member and inducted into the Tarleton Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments.
Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex has been home to Tarleton State baseball since the program was reinstated in 1988. Construction of the facility began in January of 1987, and it was officially named the Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex in December of the same year to honor the school's former Dean of Students who also was a pioneer in baseball at Tarleton.
The field sits adjacent to the Tarleton Horticultural Building on the south side of West Washington Street (Business 377). The playing surface is natural grass and the outfield is framed in center and right by pecan trees. The left field fence runs parallel to Washington Street with a state-of-the-art scoreboard in left center field. The dimensions of the field are 320 feet down the lines, 365 feet in the alleys, and 400 feet to center.
An extended net behind and above the left field fence keeps home run balls from entering traffic on Washington Street. The field was lighted for nighttime play in March of 1990. The field was given a new look with the addition of a 120' long and 10' high extension to the center field fence in 1996.
The baseball facility features red brick enclosed dugouts, with permanent seating for 550 spectators wrapping around the fence behind home plate. There are bleacher seats down the baselines and the reserved center section has chair back seating.
A fully functional press box is located atop of the center seating section and provides ample working space for the scoreboard operator, official statistician and members of the media.
Additional facilities include:
- Indoor batting cage and pitching area
- Indoor weight room and dressing area
- Outdoor batting tunnels
- Pitching bullpens for both teams
- Practice infield