When the 2003 Mustangs take the field this afternoon for the opener against Beechwood, they will be running out onto a brand new turf and composite infield, pitching from a newly constructed mound, in front of a brand new backstop. In a matter of weeks the fans will be kept up to the minute with a brand new 9×14 scoreboard, and God knows we tried to have them sitting on seats secured from Cinergy Field

Since the conclusion of last season, Coach Rowe and his Army of workers, friends, and supporters have been working to make our home field renovation a success. The sod for the infield was laid in mid-October 2002 and has taken root and thrived under a blanket of snow over winter to provide the Mustangs with a good looking, stable playing surface, which should allow us to play on many occasions that in the past would have been rained out. It will be maintained through the use of an underground sprinkler system. The infield “skin” area is actually comprised of a layer of crushed brick and “turface”, which will provide for quick drying and a consistent playing surface. The outfield grass has been re-seeded and should soon show the fruits of our labors. A newly installed backstop and freshly painted support poles will give our field a professional look. We are awaiting the arrival of our new 9×14 foot scoreboard which will further enhance our playing venue, and new seats are being constructed for around the backstop behind home plate. A system of netting will be installed over the backstop, restricting the flight of foul balls. The Mustangs themselves will sport new caps and sharp looking hot weather jerseys (which will not be needed today).

The Mustangs are hosting the 2003, 38th District Tournament in late May and our goal is to have our home playing field at St. Mary completely “ship shape” by then.

The installation of the turf infield itself was done by volunteers, many with expertise in the areas of horticulture and landscaping. The backstop was professionally installed, while the painting, grass cutting, rolling, etc. are all done by members of the team and the coaching staff.

The funds for the project have been raised through a myriad of projects. The players have sold pizzas, bagged groceries, and the adults have supported the Annual Super Bowl party and worked at the Spaghetti Dinner to help raise funds to defray the cost of the project. The program has also received partial financial assistance from the Boosters Club and the High School.

The bottom line result is that we now have a facility in which we can take pride and will continue to work to improve in upcoming years. Plans are already on the drawing board for replacing and redesigning the outfield fences.

We appreciate the efforts of all those of you who had any part in the renovation process be it through a donation of time, talent, or treasure and especially thank Fr. Joe Brink and the parishioners of St. Mary for supporting this project, without whose blessing this project would have never gotten off of the ground.

Coach Rowe and his group are to be commended for the hard work that they have put into this project. We all hope that it pays off dividends of success on the field of play in the days and years ahead…Congratulations on an ongoing job well done!