By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
They had shovels instead of bats and the gloves on their hands were more for the sting of the cold than the sting of the bat. But the group assembled at Aumiller Park’s Little League complex was all smiles as they broke ground for a $120,000 project that includes a modern batting cage for all-age players as part of the facelift for the Little League’s major baseball and softball fields.
Scott Langenderfer is on the Little League’s Board of Directors and explained how the project will benefit the boys and girls of summer.
“This program not only benefits the major boys and girls, it benefits the minor boys and girls. This is something that has been on the minds of the Bucyrus Little League board for some time,” Langenderfer said. “Kids won’t have to go to Marion or Mansfield to go to a batting cage. They’ll be able to come right here in their own backyard in Bucyrus. This will be open to any kid in the Bucyrus Little League to hone in on their skills. This will be nice. We’re really excited about it.”
The project is receiving funding from the Bucyrus Rotary, the Community Foundation for Crawford County, the John Q. Shunk Association, Carter Lumber, the Timken Foundation and a potential grant from the Gannet Foundation. Carter Lumber will also help with equipment for the construction portion of the project.
Langenderfer detailed some of the other parts of the project over and beyond the batting cage which will have a state-of-the-art spring loaded pitching machine to accommodate both baseball and softball hitters.
“We’re completely redoing the boys’ (Major League) field with a new backstop and new fencing all the way around,” Langenderfer said. “On the girls field we’re putting up a new backstop all the way around to the dugouts.”
In addition, the Bucyrus Little League is purchasing new for both the baseball and softball programs and a portable pitching mound.
Mayor Roger Moore led a group of city officials at the groundbreaking and noted, “This is going to be great for the community.”
Chamber of Commerce Director Deb Pinion also sees the value in the project for all of Bucyrus.
“Your tournaments bring a lot of money to town,” Pinion told those associated with the Little League at the groundbreaking. “Our boys and girls, this is what they look forward to in the summertime.”
The entire project is expected to be ready for the next time summer rolls around. The old fencing around the baseball field is already down and construction on the batting cage will begin Monday. The cage will be located behind the upper level concession stand between the baseball and softball fields. Carpet in the cage will be laid in the spring prior to the beginning of the Little League season.