Indian Creek baseball field gets updates to drainage, surfaces

MINGO JUNCTION -- Indian Creek High School's baseball field has a fresher look after undergoing improvements.

Indian Creek Local School District Assistant Superintendent John Belt said drainage work was completed over the past summer at the John Muth Recreational Complex in Mingo Junction while other work included fencing, new sod and infield updates. Belt said the condition of the field forced delays in baseball games last season due to improper drainage and the project was undertaken as a preventative measure.

"The facility is 23 years old and this is the first time the infield has been recrowned," Belt said. "The field was worn down and had low spots that collected water and did not drain well. We did extensive work to address the age of the facility and the drainage issues we were having, so we cleared the pathway to the existing sewers that were congested, installed French drains, removed fencing around the bullpens and sodded the area. We completely removed the infield sod, recrowned the play surface and installed new turf. Hopefully this will address all of the issues."

He continued that problems with the automatic watering system were also addressed and work was completed by Houk Lawn Services of Bloomingdale, while the district financed the project through permanent improvement funds.

Indian Creek head baseball coach Mike Cottis said the improvements were a welcome sight and players will have a fresher looking field for their games this coming spring.

"This was the 23rd year for the field and the infield grass portion had never been redone," Cottis said. "We had to move games to the opponents' field, but with the facelift we will be ready for spring. We have one of the best fields around and it needed a little TLC."