Durbin-Hileman Stadium
GPS Address: 3768 Klinger Rd, Ada, Ohio
Ohio Northern dedicated its new state-of-the-art softball facility – Durbin-Hileman Softball Stadium – in April 2024. The stadium is named in recognition of lead donors and longtime University supporters Melinda (Durbin) Hileman, BA ’87, and David Hileman, BSBA ’86, BSPh ’86.
The stadium features large dugouts, a new scoreboard with updated technology, padded backstop, upgraded press box, permanent bleachers with bucket seating, field lighting, and natural turf.
More than 167 families contributed to the project.
The Hilemans met on campus, where they were highly involved as leaders in student organizations, as letter winners, and as athletes in multiple sports. Melinda Hileman is a member of the ONU Athletics Hall of Fame, and David Hileman is the 2022 recipient of the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Their gifts have been instrumental in establishing endowments for softball and women’s basketball. In addition, the Hilemans have been generous supporters of academics in their respective colleges and the Northern Fund.
Durbin-Hileman Stadium gives the Polar Bears one of the best facility in the Midwest
The Polar Bears are 8-6 all-time at Durbin-Hileman Stadium, a winning percentage of .571.
Including 42 seasons at the ONU Softball Field, Northern has posted a 403-206 record, a winning percentage of .661 in the past 43 years.
Ohio Northern won an Ohio Athletic Conference record 35 straight home games from 1985-87 and won 50 consecutive regular season home games from 1983-87.
The ONU Sports Center is one of the finest Division III facilities in the country and is the inclement weather and winter practice facility of the Polar Bears.
Ohio Northern can conduct full scrimmages inside the Fieldhouse portion of the facility, giving the Polar Bears an advantage over many Midwestern schools during the preseason.
The ONU Sports Center was opened for use at the beginning of the 1974-75 academic year and was expanded to its current size of 18,000-square feet in 1991.
The ONU Sports Center also houses a state-of-the-art indoor track and field facility, three racquetball courts, a 25-yard, six-lane swimming pool, two weight rooms, an athletic training room, a dance and exercise room, a wrestling room, classrooms and faculty offices, and a VIP lounge with views of both the center gymnasium and pool.
