No more tarp.
These words are music to any high school baseball or softball player’s ears and are the new reality for the Homewood Patriots.
The infields and areas surrounding the dugouts of both on-campus facilities will be replaced by turf in a project that began June 1 and should finish next month, with the baseball fields expected to be completed first. The softball field is also getting new facilities, including two batting cages and three pitching lanes.
For many years the grass fields came with the issue of pulling tarp, bad hops and practice cancellations.
All HHS baseball players know of the infamous tarp, the labor, and the time associated with it. Players had to be called out of class to pull it over the field if there was any sign of rain. There were also times where it would be hot outside and the tarp on the field would have to be pulled off to avoid burning the grass.
Head baseball coach Lee Hall recalled a day last year when players had to be pulled out of class suddenly to prevent the grass from burning.
“Last year…one day it was 85 degrees, the sun came out, and our tarp was on the field…so we got everybody out of class and took the tarp off,” Hall said.
Varsity baseball player Jack Ross said he will not miss the early mornings of wrestling with the tarp.
“We had to wake up early in the morning [before school] and pull the tarp on when it was pouring rain,” Ross said.
This was a common occurrence that disrupted the baseball team’s daily schedule.
Head coach Arica Moss’ softball team dealt with the same issue.
“Anytime that it rained, especially in the winter, if the rain soaked the field, the field would freeze, whether or not we put the tarp on it,” Moss said.
Setbacks from weather alone cost the softball and baseball teams several practice days, and the turf will eliminate this. Along with improvements in the physical field, turf will also improve playing.
Ross also said the baseball team now has a “better chance to make plays” compared to the many errors of the previous field.
The other issue with a grass field is “[They] can get grass lips, if a ball hits that lip it can come up and hit you in the face,” Hall said.
Turf makes the game faster, as you can run faster. It also changes the short game, the ball will roll farther without the issue of divots in the ground. To get comfortable playing on the new turf will mean plenty of practice for both teams.
Arica Moss expressed her gratitude towards the new turf saying, “This has been a long time coming, and we are extremely grateful to have this opportunity, and we’re really looking forward to it being finished and being able to use it.”
