Plains softball field sees improvements prior to tourney
The view from centerfield of the new backstop and pressbox facility workers completed this past week in preparation for the Western B Divisional softball tournament at Plains High. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
After months of work, the finished product was deemed well worth the effort.
The "product" is the newly refurbished softball field at Plains High School, which was completed in time for this past week’s Western B Divisional softball tournament hosted by Plains High.
And “finished” is up for debate to the guy responsible for molding and shaping the new ballpark into a fan friendly arena that drew big crowds of fans, players and coaches last week, despite steady rain, cold winds and even an occasional “dust devil” from a late Spring storm.
“We worked pretty hard putting this together,” said PHS Maintenance Supervisor Jess Jermyn as he surveyed the new field and its many new improvements. “We didn’t get it all done, but it came together pretty well. We all worked hard to make this work”.
Jermyn said with a grin that the project, under the guidance of Superintendent Thom Chisholm, who did a lot of work building and gathering the materials to create such improvements, did not all get done as he kicked out a few lone weeds in a dirt area in front of grandstands newly installed for the eight team tournament.
Included in the remake was a new backstop area, complete with a new press box that sits above ground level behind home plate.
One section of new seating was completed just a few days before the tournament as a new retaining wall had to be built to accommodate the aluminum structure and keep it from being damaged by the sloping hillside behind it.
Two other sections of new aluminum seating were actually borrowed from the school’s new addition, which houses room for art projects and badly needed storage, along with a spacious multi-purpose area for a full-size basketball court and such events as concerts and theatrical productions.
“We had to build some skids to help move the bleachers out to the field,” Jermyn said. “Overall things came together pretty well, a lot of people worked hard to make this happen.”
Chisholm said he was happy with the remade facility and with Jermyn and others who labored to bring it to fruition.
“It came together nicely,” Chisholm said with a big smile during a break in action during one of several games played last weekend. “Jesse and the crew did a really good job and put in a lot of hard work to make this happen. I told the Montana High School Association (MHSA, which awards tournament locations as part of its role in overseeing extra-curricular events) we may not know what we are doing, but it sure looks like we do”.
Hopes are the improvements will lead to more such tournaments like the one this past weekend that attracted hundreds of fans traveling to root for their hometown team.
The tournament included a third meeting this year between Sanders County rivals Plains and Thompson Falls. Two teams, Florence-Carlton and Mission (St. Ignatius, Charlo and Arlee) advanced to this weekend’s state tournament, with Florence winning the title via a thrilling 15-11 win over Mission.