A year ago at this time, Heidelberg鈥檚 baseball team was in jeopardy of not having a suitable field to play its home games. But all that has changed with the installation of a new turf infield at Peaceful Valley, completed this week.
Following a final walk-through on Wednesday and some final touch-ups, the Student Princes are ready to go for their home opener on Sunday vs. Adrian.
鈥淭he field looks amazing,鈥 said Head Baseball Coach Chad Fitzgerald. 鈥淏etter than I imagined.鈥
Previously, the field had been problematic to maintain, with poor subsoil conditions and the impact of several floods that made it difficult to grow and sustain grass. When it was determined that resodding the infield wasn鈥檛 an option, Heidelberg called on a previous vendor with whom we have had a good experience.
The university worked with Maumee Bay Turf Inc. 鈥 the same company that installed the turf field at Hoernemann Stadium 鈥 to install the new turf infield at Peaceful Valley. The bulk of the work was completed last November, with finishing touches completed this week.
鈥淲e wanted to keep as much of the former field look as possible while bringing in the flair of the new,鈥 Chad said. 鈥淢aumee Bay did a great job of bringing that vision to light.
鈥淲e are excited to get on the field and start playing!鈥
And they鈥檒l be playing on a much safer, consistent surface for infielders. Currently, the field at Peaceful Valley is the only one of its kind in Seneca County. That will open up endless opportunities for the baseball program, the coach said.
鈥淭here have been years that we have not stepped on a field before our first game,鈥 he recalled. In addition to home games, 鈥淭he new turf will allow us to do that in the preseason and in the fall.鈥
Chad also envisions opportunities to bring more prospective student-athletes to campus through high school and summer travel league games and tournaments, which Heidelberg can now host.
Play ball!