By Gil Pound

A  $2 million donation is paving the way for major renovations to John Kurtz Field, home of the Georgia College & State University Bobcat baseball team. 

The gift – the largest in Georgia College Athletics history – comes via the E.R. Snell company, a fifth-generation family-owned and operated leader in Georgia’s asphalt and road construction industry.

The historic donation ushers in a new era for the storied Georgia College baseball program. The renovated baseball facility will be renamed, pending final approval by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.

“This renovation will modernize our baseball facility and enhance the gameday experience for fans,” said GCSU President Cathy Cox. “We cannot wait to cheer Bobcat baseball to victory at E.R. Snell Family Stadium at John Kurtz Field.”

Championship pedigree

Founded in 1923, E.R. Snell mobilizes 1,200 employees to take on some of the state’s most significant infrastructure projects from bridge constructions to highway widenings and major interstate interchange improvements. 

E.R. Snell and GCSU have a strong relationship. E.R. Snell Assistant Vice President Chandler Snell (’11) is a Bobcat alumnus and former member of the baseball team. His brother, Jared Snell, attended Georgia College and is the company’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. Their cousin, Devin Snell, is vice president of special projects and also attended GCSU. Robin Snell, father to Chandler and Jared and E.R. Snell’s president from 1997 to 2017, formerly served on the GCSU Foundation Board of Trustees. Several other company officers are Bobcat alumni as well, further cementing the connection between the company and the university.

Now a leader within the company, Chandler Snell was also a leader at Georgia College when he was a four-year starter at shortstop for Bobcat baseball. His senior season in 2010 was the most recent time the program made it to the NCAA Division II World Series. Snell was named to the All-Southeast Region Tournament Team after numerous highlight-reel defensive plays helped the Bobcats punch their World Series ticket. 

“Winning the regional that day in South Carolina was a special time in my life,” Snell said. “We were a player-led team with a lot of seniors that were able to grow over the four years we were together .… We had a lot of discipline and a lot of accountability and reliability.” 

All of those attributes have helped Snell in his professional career overseeing E.R. Snell’s private operations. He and the leadership team love seeing Bobcat alumni apply for open positions with the company.

“Every day we’re looking to hire talented, smart, driven people that can help in our business,” Snell said. “At Georgia College we’ve found that not only are the students disciplined and smart, but they also have a culture about them. When we’re looking to draw people in through our internship program, we’re looking for smart minds that can come in and push our current employees every day to be better, whether it’s accounting, marketing, or putting on a pair of boots and going to work.”

Break out the shovels 

E.R. Snell’s donation catapults forward the ongoing capital campaign to renovate the Georgia College baseball stadium. Construction on the overall $5 million project is expected to begin later in 2026.

“We’re extremely appreciative of E.R. Snell for making this investment in the university,” said Dr. Seth Walker, vice president of University Advancement and executive director of the GCSU Foundation. “We wouldn’t be able to complete the project without this gift.”

Robin Snell says the company shareholders agreed that the Georgia College stadium project was a worthy cause.

“We make decisions each year of where we might can help somewhere in the community,” he said. “That decision is made jointly … Some of the shareholders are not actively involved in Georgia College, but they understand and appreciated the need.”

“Seeing the name of this company – seeing my last name going up on that stadium will be special,” added Chandler Snell. “It’s not just going to be about the name for me. It’ll be about really honoring the people that came before me; the generations within this family but also the generations of the baseball players that came before us.”

Plans announced last summer call for the existing bleachers and press box to be removed. In their place, 450 new chairback seats will be installed in addition to the construction of a two-story building boasting meeting space and suites. The first floor will house the press box for gameday operations while the multiuse spaces and suites will go above.

“Everybody benefits from this,” said GCSU Director of Athletics Wendell Staton. “The fan experience is going to be enhanced. The student-athlete experience is going to be enhanced. It’s going to aid in recruiting as well. The multipurpose room is going to be one of the most popular pieces of real estate on campus.”

“I'm just really excited that we're going to get a new stadium,” said Mrs. Kathy Kurtz, widow of Georgia College Hall of Fame baseball coach John Kurtz, the field’s namesake. “It's been a long time coming. I think it will definitely enhance and add character to the program.”

The venue’s iconic hillside viewing areas along the first- and third-base lines will remain, but coverings will be added to provide shade for picnicking fans. 

A new concession stand and bathrooms will also be built between the baseball and softball fields, benefiting both athletic programs. 

Georgia College baseball has won nine Peach Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships combined, and has made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances with two World Series berths (‘95 and ’10). Last summer GCSU named Jeff Pelkey, a former Flagler College assistant coach, as the Bobcats new head coach.  

Header Images: Former E.R. Snell president Robin Snell (left) and Bobcat baseball alum Chandler Snell with one of the company’s many large pieces of equipment at Snell headquarters in Snellville, Georgia. (Photos: Anna Gay Leavitt)