New fields for Austintown softball players

austintown

As a seventh-grade language arts teacher, softball coach Melody Ward has been able to observe daily progress in the building of the new softball fields from the second floor of Austintown Middle School.

“I walk down the stairs every day and see the beautiful landscape,” Ward said.

Workers put the finishing touches on the new fields across from AMS last week. They were built to make room for a new school building for kindergarten through second grade, which will take their place behind Frank Ohl Intermediate School.

While their season won’t begin until after tryouts in March, varsity team captain Amanda Callahan is excited to play on the new fields.

“I have seen it and it is gorgeous,” she said.

Callahan, 17, is a senior this year and said the team used to practice and play on the same field behind Frank Ohl. She said while the existing fields were in good condition, new fields add more excitement to the season.

Mal Culp, supervisor of facilities and operations for the district, said he was excited to create a nice space for the Lady Falcons. The playing field sits back from Raccoon Road and a practice field is closer to the road next to the 9/11 Memorial Park.

Culp said the infield is 200 tons of a crushed brick and clay mixture.

“It’s pretty cool,” Culp said. “It’s a nice playing field.”

Read more in Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com