Still thawing out after a winter that is going down swinging, the baseball and softball fields, thanks to the volunteers and financial supporters of the Cleveland Baseball & Softball Association, will be fitter than ever when the first pitches of the 2026 season are finally thrown.
The improvements made will make participating in the games safer and more fun for players and enhance the fan experience as well.
Baseball field: Late last summer, the association sodded and graded the baseball field. The infield had a tall lip where the grass met the lime. As they came off the lime surface and into the grass, the lip created a ramp that would shoot grounders skyward, potentially at the faces of fielders.
So, all the transition areas from grass to lime were knocked down and brought to the proper grade. Association volunteers then cut sod from a new batting cage area and placed it back into the transition areas. The process was labor intensive as a lot of the transitions took three to four feet of new sod.
In addition, the most uneven areas in the outfield were filled with topsoil. The entire field was aerated, overseeded and fertilized. To get the new grass started, the new irrigation system went to work, and, with an optimum fall for growing grass, the fresh grass really took off.
Softball Field 1: The varsity softball had an oblong radius to it, so association volunteers fixed that and basically did the same thing with the sod at the grass-to-lime transition as the baseball field. Two loads of lime were added to the field and graded appropriately.
Scoreboards: Both the baseball and softball Field 1 scoreboards were not working. Due to their age, parts are no longer available, so they were both replaced with scoreboards that are identical to each other.
The baseball scoreboard, which wasn’t working last year at all, was funded by the school. The softball scoreboard was funded by the Booster Club.
The new scoreboards are the same size as the old boards but use LED lights, which will give a better display. As the scoreboards are operated using Bluetooth, control boards aren’t needed to run them from the dugout, which means they have fewer components that could break down. They can be operated from any cellular device after logging into the scoreboard app. The new scoreboards were installed this week.
Softball Field 1’s original scoreboard was not moved when the fence was moved up to the regulated distance. That made it more difficult to see, but it also closed off space behind the fence that could be used for football practice. So, the association removed the old I-beam supports and set new ones right behind the outfield fence.
Relocating the scoreboard opened a larger area behind the fence for football practices. This is especially important as Cleveland youth football has started to take off.
Batting cage: Between the baseball field and softball Field 1, footings were poured for the poles that will be installed this spring. The poles still need the bases welded to them and they need to be painted, something the association hopes to get done soon.
An 8x10-inch concrete curb was poured around the batting cage area to hold in the lime, which will be the cage playing surface. After the curbing concrete was set up, the first four inches of the area was filled with sand before topping it off with four inches of lime. Late last fall, topsoil was brought in to fill the exterior of the curbing. The topsoil was then seeded and fertilized in hopes the grass will grow this spring.
Last week, the poles for the nets were installed, and one of the nets was hung. So they don't blow in the wind, the association is working to secure the nets.
Irrigation building: A pad was poured then a pre-built wood structure was placed to house the irrigation components. The association installed the steel exterior to the building after the structure was set.
Field 3 (“Church Field”): In 2024, clay and sand from the inner outfield was removed. With new topsoil provided by the association, the grade was raised in the inner outfield. The topsoil was seeded, and a hydro mulch was applied. Two loads of lime were added to the infield, and the infield was graded.
Fall cleanup: Last fall, the association used leaf blowers to clean all the fields and dugouts and mulched the leaves using a lawnmower. Volunteers also picked up loads of trash around the complex.
While the fields have never been better, there is still much to do, stressed association members. High on the list, they are hoping to secure private funding for new baseball field and softball field fencing.
With fresh snow still on the ground, the scoreboards went up this week.
The new irrigation building is on the northeast side of the field parking lot.
Regrading the lime-to-turf transition areas took a ton of effort…
…but the results made the work worthwhile.
Readying to pour the curb around the new batting cage; Note the fence post footings.
Batting cage with a lime surface and seeded soil around its perimeter.
With nets added, the batting cage is nearing completion.
Photos courtesy of the Cleveland Baseball & Softball Association