On Friday afternoon the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved a request to rename the Haymarket Park Practice Facility to the Alex Gordon Training Complex following a generous $1 million donation from Alex and Jamie Gordon.

“I wouldn’t be where I am right now without the University of Nebraska,” Gordon said. “I spent three amazing years there. I grew as a person and became a better baseball player there. Ever since I was drafted I knew I wanted to give back at a certain point. It just finally came to a time where I felt ready to do it, and I am really happy to make this donation.”

“It’s great that Alex is able to give back to this program,” Head Coach Darin Erstad said. “You can see how much Nebraska means to him. We always appreciate it when former student-athletes are able to give back to the program and the whole Nebraska baseball family appreciates what Alex is doing.”

A native of Lincoln and a standout third baseman for the Huskers from 2003 to 2005, Gordon has become one of the top outfielders in Major League Baseball since being drafted second overall in 2005 by the Kansas City Royals. A Gold Glove winner the past two seasons, Gordon set offensive career highs in hits (189), doubles (51) and triples (5), while hitting 14 home runs and producing 72 RBIs last season. His 51 doubles in 2012 led the Majors, after he led the league and set a club record with 20 outfield assists in 2011.

During his time at Nebraska, Gordon was a two-time first-team All-American and in 2005 he became the first player in school history to win the Golden Spikes Award, the Brooks Wallace Award, the Dick Howser Award and be named ABCA Player of the Year. He also led the 2005 Huskers to a school-record 57 wins and the program’s first-ever win at the College World Series.

“Mike Dobbs (a four-year letterwinner on the mound for Nebraska from 1982-1986 and now a staff member of the Huskers Athletic Fund) and I have been discussing different possibilities over the last year, and when he came up with that, I thought it was cool,” Gordon said. “I really like the indoor facility. It helps in the off-season and helps in recruiting, so I thought it was a great idea for both parties.”

Nebraska’s baseball and softball teams share the 22,000-square foot facility that opened in September of 2011. Construction of the $4.75 million facility started in November of 2010 and was completed in less than a year. The facility features a large indoor practice area (including six batting cages), along with restrooms and storage facilities. It is located on the northeast corner of Haymarket Park, just a few feet from the baseball team’s locker room, clubhouse, athletic medicine facilities and administration offices.