Little League park upgrade under way
Volunteer contributions, city assistance critical for renovation of fields
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Staff photo by Barry Halvorson Clearing off the topsoil in preparation for a load of dirt and new sod, Marshall Atkinson scrapes the major league field at the Wharton Youth Baseball complex.

Local youth league outfielders can expect to be running on a faster, drier field this coming season as the local organization continues to upgrade its facilities in Wharton.

"We're completing the renovation of the major league field this year," League President Scott Stephenson said. "Two years ago, we had the infield laser leveled and sloped for drainage. This winter, we're doing the same for the outfield. We've removed the grass and scraped it. Now, we're going to bring in 400 yards of dirt and re-sod."

The city owns the property the fields are located on, but the league is responsible for the maintenance.

Stephenson complimented City Manager Andres Garza and Maintenance Director Bob Baker for lending the league manpower during the project, but added it couldn't be done without volunteer contributions.

"We got lucky," Stephenson said. "Larry Viktorin bought a sod cutter and donated its use for our grass fields, including the softball field.

"We hired Marshall Atkinson to do the dirt work and Martinez Trucking is hauling the dirt for us. We're also hoping to have a better quality grass than in the past with a couple of local sod farms having pledged to help when the time comes."

He said the infield improvements have already proven their worth with the city hosting a number of district and sectional tournaments since the infield was improved.

"We're now recognized for having one of the better facilities," Stephenson said. "We get rain during the tournaments and the fields drain well enough to play the same day. It helps with getting the games in."

The tournaments are a boost to the local economy with sectional events bringing in teams from as far as New Braunfels and Seguin, he added.

He said the improvements are also important to completing the regular season on schedule.

"One of the hardest things about the season is rescheduling games because there are so many scheduled," he said. "So if you get rain in the morning and can play in the evening you stay on schedule, something the parents and players appreciate."

With the regular season set to start the final weekend of March or the first weekend of April, Stephenson is hoping the work is complete by the end of the calendar year.

"Last time, we only finished a month ahead of time and the field was still ready to go," he said. "This year, we're going to give it three months if we can."

Before the sod goes down, Stephenson and other volunteers will be installing an automated sprinkler system to make maintenance even easier in the future.

The league is planning several other improvements with the help of local donors and volunteers.

"There are three big projects we want to do if we can get the funding or materials," he said.

"The first is building three new batting cages along with refurbishing the two existing ones. Ben Muhlhausen at Muhltech has already donated the nets so the challenge now is to get the concrete needed."

The second project is automated sprinklers while the third is the replacement of the backstops at the various fields.

"The park was probably build in the 1960s, so the backstops are getting old," he said.

"The pipes are rusting and there's a lot of patches in the chain link.

"We'd like to do the one at the major field and then do the other next year."

And like with most community organizations, Stephenson is also recruiting volunteers to serve in a number of roles. Those interested can contact him or another board member.

"You don't have to have a child playing in the league to be part of the excitement," he said. "We are always looking for umpires and we need more board members. This past year, our board of directors was 10 short."