The new dedicated baseball and softball diamonds being built by BSUK at Farnham Park near Slough are nearing completion. Grass has been seeded, and how well it grows and beds in over the winter will determine when in 2013 the fields can be used.
Construction of the full-size baseball diamond and two softball diamonds on site (with a third softball diamond located in a corner of the baseball outfield) has proceeded rapidly over the past couple of months. The softball diamonds will be able to be used for slowpitch, fastpitch and youth baseball play.
Construction process
Heavy ground excavations began in September after the grass had been sprayed off and mulched within the topsoil. The topsoil was then stripped from the proposed development areas and stockpiled for re-use. The subsoil was levelled and graded to ensure the fields were flat and appropriate for the sports. Then the dugouts, infields and warning tracks were marked out and construction of the baseball dugouts and backstops began, along with in-filling the infields followed by seeding.
The perimeter fencing of the fields and the in-filling of softball warning tracks were completed soon afterwards.
With the wet weather upon us again, the remaining construction will be left until the spring. This decision will ensure the seeded grass isn't damaged to avoid any potential delays that would be caused by having to re-seed in spring. The works remaining include completing some fencing on the softball fields, installing the baseball warning track and pitching mound, seeding the surrounding areas off the fields, installing the bases and plates and completing the dugouts with benches and accessories.
The first game
Play will begin on these fields in 2013 but the date of the first game is still to be determined. With high expectations from both Federations and their members, the fields at Farnham Park are expected to be used heavily for many years to come. To cope, it is essential that the grass is given appropriate time to mature to the point where it will be able to withstand the demand. This can only be assessed in the spring after pre-season maintenance is performed.
The progress made in building facilities that will make Farnham Park a national centre for baseball and softball from next season can be seen in the gallery below of photographs recently taken at the site.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.