State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-133rd, announced Sept. 19 she secured additional funding of up to $50,000 through a state grant to help the ongoing improvement project at Balliet Stadium in Coplay.

“Samuel Balliet Stadium continues to be one of the most recognized facilities in the baseball community in the Lehigh Valley, and we need to support the efforts underway to breathe new life back into the complex, restore its legacy and return it to its former glory as the crown jewel of baseball stadiums in the area,” McNeill said. “As the stadium is getting ready to install a completely new lighting system, it is critical that the bleachers and stands will be safe for the patrons who will be attending games and events,” she added.

According to McNeill, Coplay Sports requested additional state funding to replace broken and unsafe bleachers and for upgrades to the field. The grant will provide $30,000 to replace the bleachers and $20,000 for infield and outfield materials and equipment.

Earlier this month, McNeill helped secure more than $243,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, which will be used to replace the stadium lights that were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

The stadium was built in the 1940s and was named after Samuel “Sammy” Balliet, a local American Legion Baseball coach for the Coplay Athletic Association throughout the 1950s and 1960s. His teams went on to win a total of six state championships.

The stadium has been home to youth, American Legion and adult baseball for more than half a century.