Sod Laid on Final Two Sports Plex Fields

Entrance to Sports Plex

The remaining two ball fields at the Lamar Sports Plex received their final major installations in late September with light poles and sod. The light pole foundations were put in for fields three and four and in just the past two weeks, the light poles were erected and over the past two days, sod was installed on the softball fields along with the needed irrigation system. Sod was also placed along the walkway leading into all four fields.

Rolling Sod Out on the Field

Rick Akers, Lamar Parks and Recreation Director, said earlier this summer the sod will have all fall to take root to be ready for next spring and the city wouldn’t have to use as much water on the fields with this schedule. Timberline Landscaping was the low bidder for the sod project earlier this summer at $109,614.

Irrigation Pipe Was Installed in Early September

Some additional finish work will be needed for the dugouts and backstops. GoCO approved a grant in early July for the Lamar project. Nine applicants out of 36 were submitted to the state organization. Lamar’s request was just under $240,000 out of the $9.3 M requested by all the community’s projects. The total award for the nine applicants was $2.2M.

Last Part of Construction Project

The Sportplex is already seven years old, begun in 2008 to host the August 2009 Cal Ripken Boys World Series for 10 year olds on the first field. The city was also selected the following year to host the Babe Ruth 16 Year Old Softball Fast Pitch World Series for the second field. Various state and local organizations helped fund the early projects, along with several commercial donations. The two older fields have seen lots of game time over the past several years from Cal Ripken Tournaments to regional softball tournaments including Babe Ruth competition and the 24^th annual Windmill Men’s Softball Classic from this past summer.

By Russ Baldwin