Washington & Jefferson College celebrated the beginning of a new chapter for its baseball program with the ceremonial kickoff of the James David Ross Family Training Center, a $2.5 million investment dedicated to supporting student-athlete development. The Ross family is fully funding the project, continuing their long history of support for the college, including the Ross Memorial Park in 2004 and the James David Ross Family Recreation Center in 2017. The new 25,000-square-foot indoor facility will be built next to the W&J Facilities Services building, providing year-round training space for student-athletes. At the ceremony, W&J officials and the Ross family took part in the symbolic first dig, with helmets on shovels before placing them on their heads and turning over a mound of dirt to signify the launch of the project. David Ross, a 1978 alumnus, trustee since 2004, and W&J Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, shared remarks about the project’s importance. “The indoor training center is needed because the weather is not always so great here and often limits practice opportunities for student-athletes. When players have nowhere to train during cold months, they lose motivation and sometimes stop playing,” Ross said. The facility will be managed by campus officials and reserved for student-athletes, though community access may be allowed during special events. Named in honor of Ross’s father, the James David Ross Family Training Center will serve as a lasting tribute to his family’s commitment to W&J athletics. Construction is anticipated to begin within weeks, with completion expected by Spring 2026.