CSUB’s top baseball supporter goes to bat for fans

$1.5 million gift will enhance experience at Hardt Field, raise profile of ` Runner Athletics

By California State University, Bakersfield

December 22^nd, 2022

Bakersfield home builder and philanthropist Thomas Hardt — a visionary supporter who helped bring Division I baseball to California State University, Bakersfield — is deepening his support of the team with a $1.5 million gift that will enhance the experience for fans and elevate the profile of Roadrunner Athletics.

“I am extremely humbled and honored to be able to assist Cal State Bakersfield with the building improvements to Hardt Field,” he said. “As a CSUB alumnus and Hall of Fame recipient, it has always been my desire to see the university grow and flourish, and I am happy to be able to make a contribution towards those goals. As a former baseball player, I know firsthand the feeling of having a crowd rooting for you and your team during games.”

CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny, a frequent fan in the stands of Hardt Field —named for Roadrunner baseball’s top supporter — called the gift a game-changer for fans, scholar-athletes, coaches and the community.

“I can’t thank Tom enough for this expression of support and faith in Cal State Bakersfield,” she said. “The enhancements we will make with Tom’s gift will help CSUB compete for championships with other teams in the Big West Conference. The clear path forward for any Division I program is to secure support from the community to grow and excel, and Tom sets the bar high for others to follow in Bakersfield.”

The gift will help fulfill CSUB’s priority of supporting future leaders and fostering academic excellence as part of the university’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, which was publicly announced in October 2021.

The goal of the campaign is to raise $55 million by July 2024 to transform the university.

Initial plans for upgrades to the Hardt Field baseball facility include new construction and improvements to the entrance and reception area.

“My desire is that by enhancing the field with permanent restroom facilities, concession sales, outdoor barbecue grill station, merchandise sales and ticket sales, the community will be encouraged to come out and support the `Runners,” Hardt said. “In addition, the construction plans call for a reception plaza that includes a vehicle drop-off zone. The vision is to one day see families, Little League teams, high school players and other community members fill the stands to capacity. The university shares my commitment in offering a variety of food options to be made available, including healthy alternatives.”

CSUB Athletics Director Kyle Conder said Hardt’s gift reflects Bakersfield’s reputation as a baseball community.

“We are so grateful to Tom Hardt for his continued support and investment in our program,” he said. “Tom’s philanthropy is a model that is representative of what we can achieve in Bakersfield with vision and dedication.”

Hardt’s support for the establishment of the Roadrunner baseball program provided a major boost for CSUB’s campaign, launched in 2005, to transition to Division I, the highest level of National Collegiate Athletic Association competition. In January of 2007, then-CSUB President Horace Mitchell announced that the university had secured the funds necessary to complete the move and that the Roadrunners would make history by fielding the university’s first baseball team.

As planning got underway, Hardt stepped forward with a $1 million gift to the fledgling program to build a baseball field, but the developer’s leadership did not stop there. With the clock ticking down to the first CSUB home game in February 2009, Hardt mobilized a squad of scholar-athletes, coaches and community volunteers to turn a 100,000-square-foot dirt lot into a Division I baseball facility.

“It is impossible to overstate Tom’s impact on the Roadrunner baseball program,” said Interim Vice President for University Advancement Heath Niemeyer. “In those early days of our transition to Division I, CSUB was charting an unknown course, making community leaders like Tom so vital to the success of our mission. In the years since, our scholar-athletes have flourished and gone on to start their own careers, following the example of service that Tom set for them.”

Through his various endeavors in real estate building and development, Hardt has established the Hardt Foundation for his philanthropic efforts and is eager for the field improvements to get started.

“With the collaboration of President Zelezny and the CSUB Foundation, we are hopeful that the construction of these facilities can commence in 2023,” he said. “This facility will be a proud addition to CSU Bakersfield and will become an outstanding facility as a participant in the Big West Conference.”

The Roadrunners’ 2023 season kicks off at home Feb. 17 against the Summit League's St. Thomas. Big West play for the `Runners begins March 17 on the road against defending league champion UC Santa Barbara.

CSUB’s top baseball supporter goes to bat for fans

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

Runners on the Rise is the first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign at California State University, Bakersfield. The campaign is centrally focused on what is most important at CSUB: students. This ambitious effort aims to raise $55 million by July 2024, helping our students — and, in turn, the entire region — reach new heights of success. Join us on this upward trajectory atcsub.edu/rise.