Community

Work on Wheeling Park High School Baseball Field Turf Gets Underway

There has been drier weather and sunshine in recent days, and now crews can begin to lay turf on the Wheeling Park High School baseball field.

Workers with AstroTurf were on site Monday afternoon preparing for the job. The placement and compacting of a gravel base is complete.

David Crumm, operations director for Ohio County Schools, said a couple sections of the turf were put down Monday evening with more expected to go down today.

"With the weather cooperating, we could be completed by next Friday (April 14)," he said.

The WPHS baseball team has been playing their home games on the field at West Liberty University, or school officials have made arrangements with opponents to play at their sites.

Once the turf is down, rubber infill will be laid on the field, according to Crumm.

At the same time, Valley Fencing is expected to install new fencing around the field in the coming days.

Last August, the Ohio County Board of Education approved a $1.5 million contract with Astroturf to place turf on the field. The money was paid from the school district's general budget, and is not part of the $42.2 million in bond work approved by voters in 2018.

The decision was made after natural grass previously on the WPHS baseball field came with drainage issues, and rainy spring conditions often resulted in many games being canceled throughout the baseball season.

In addition, AstroTurf already was placed on the new multi-purpose athletic field where the girls softball team is to play its games. It was expected girls softball games would take place on days when it had rained in the morning, and the boys baseball games on natural grass would be canceled.