HEADLINE

Louisiana Tech facilities damaged by tornado

Field Level Media

April 25, 2019 at 7:32 pm.

An overnight tornado that killed two people in Ruston, La., also ripped through the athletic fields of Louisiana Tech and damaged facilities of at least five sports.

The estimated 160 mph tornado that “cut houses in half,” according to Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker, damaged the baseball, softball and soccer fields, the tennis courts and the track and field facility.

The school tweeted out photos showing the damage to some of the facilities.

“Our student-athletes and student body are safe, which is our main concern. We are still in shock over the devastation to our city and our campus. Thank you to everyone for the thoughts and prayers.

“We are still assessing the damage our facilities, but we CAN and WILL rebuild.”

Athletic director Tommy McClelland said in a tweet that there was “severe damage” to the facilities.

The Louisiana Tech campus was closed Thursday and will be again on Friday. No serious injuries have been reported from students.