EVANSVILLE — Charles H. Braun Stadium, home of the University of Evansville baseball team for 20 years, is set to receive a major facelift.

German American Bank has made a financial commitment to the athletic department that will fund renovations to the stadium, which will now be called German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium.

Renovations include a full artificial turf playing surface, padded walls throughout the stadium with new fencing along the first and third baselines, dugout and bullpen improvements and a new LED scoreboard, UE announced at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

“What a program-changing day,” Aces baseball coach Wes Carroll proudly said.

UE athletics director Mark Spencer did not disclose how much German American Bank donated, but he said it's the largest single commitment the department has ever received and is "one of the biggest" in university history.

Although the project most directly affects the Aces baseball program, it will impact the entire athletic department and beyond. The soccer and softball teams can practice on it during the cold, wet months. Strength coaches can have various programs train in the outfield grass, too.

Spencer also wants the facility to remain an IHSAA baseball postseason host while possibly attracting more baseball camps and showcases in the summer.

“(It) will become the premier baseball venue in the Tri-State area to host sporting events of all ages and will impact the overall perception of Aces baseball," Carroll said.

Carroll was dressed in a suit during the announcement inside the Armory building adjacent to the stadium. He believes these improvements will drastically change the program's recruiting efforts because now they can develop student-athletes year-round.

"This is going to catapult us back into the competitive conversation of recruiting Missouri Valley Conference players and being able to get that Top 100 type of athlete in the country," he said.

The Aces went 24-29 this spring, going 11-11 in Missouri Valley Conference play and dropping both games in the double-elimination conference tournament. Carroll has been at the helm for 11 seasons and is 287-322 as coach of his alma mater.

The playing field will be a full synthetic AstroTurf, a company Spencer deems "the best in the country." He chose this brand specifically for the same reasons UE chose exclusive deals with Nike and Pepsi/Gatorade.

"There’s no sense going with the second-best," Spencer said. "We go with the best we can get."

Groundbreaking for the project is scheduled for the early fall with construction taking two to three months to complete. A dedication will be held later this year to showcase the completed project.

Braun Stadium seats 1,200 and has several hundred chair-back seats. It has been the Aces' home field since 1999. Before, they played at Bosse Field from 1985 through 1998.

Alumni are excited to see the changes.

"As an alum, a heartfelt 'thank you' to German American Bank for investing into the school and its athletes," Andy Benes, the No. 1 pick in the 1988 MLB draft, wrote in a release. "This is truly a game-changer."

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland said: "This shows how coach Carroll and the UE staff have helped build the program; they have earned the right to have a top-notch facility. ... I wish we had this when I was here."

Jim Brownlee, the head coach from 1980-2002, added: "I think back to 1979 when we did not have dugouts and the worst playing surface in America. We have come a long way in 40 years."

This project has been in the works for about a year, but it's been a vision of Carroll's since he stepped on campus again as an assistant 13 years ago.

“I recognized pretty early and often, for us to be competitive, we needed to continue to work on our facilities, and we have step-by-step, inch-by-inch," Carroll said.

Braun Stadium sits alongside the Lloyd Expressway, which Spencer said has 60,000 cars travel in each direction daily, meaning millions pass the facility per month.

By year's end, they'll all see the new and improved German American Bank Field.

“I’m delighted to say the University of Evansville continues to move forward, and this is one of the ways to do it," UE President Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz said.

Chad Lindskog covers Evansville athletics for the Courier & Press. Contact him by email, clindskog@gannett.com, or on Twitter: @chadlindskog.