MORGANTOWN — After years of drainage problems at Mylan Park’s Anker Fields Complex, the issue was solved with renovations following last year’s American Legion baseball team.
Mylan Park finished $360,000 worth of improvements to the baseball and softball facilities used by the Morgantown and University baseball and softball teams for home games. Repairs included to the playing surfaces, dugouts, drainage system, bullpens, batting cage, fence, lighting and scoreboard.
However, the new drainage system may be the most important renovation. Hours, even days, after a consistent rain, Schilling Field — the main baseball facility, and Lynch Field — the main softball facility — were unplayable due to sitting water.
That forced postponements and cancellations of games, as well as needing to move practices either inside at Pro Performance or to the turf fields, also at Mylan Park.
The Monongalia County Board of Education’s agreement with Mylan Park is $50,000 annually, which includes varsity and JV baseball and softball, as well as a set number of days on the long turf field for soccer and lacrosse.
The agreement stipulates that the fields are lined and ready to go when the teams show up. The $50,000 is used for operating expenses and to assist with capital improvements.
A new agreement will be created for the use of the new track and aquatic facilities between the cross-country, swimming and track teams.
Keith Hernstrom, Mylan Park general manager and executive director, began in February 2018 and knew improvements needed to be made.
“When I started, as well as the Mylan Park Board of Directors, we set out to make a capital investment plan to strengthen the management at the park, and that included the work to our baseball and softball facilities,” he said. “That was our focus from Day 1 and we knew the challenges that already existed with our user, including our high school teams, but we made a plan to address those issues and you’re seeing it come to fruition.”
Mylan Park is a private nonprofit with no government funding, so while it will get money through other opportunities if they present themselves, all money used for these upgrades were raised through use of the park’s facilities.
Concrete floors, player benches, fences, and bat and helmet racks were added to the dugouts, while new, fenced bullpens were added outside of the playing area. New controllers and control boards were added to the lighting system, as well as lamps and ballasts.
On the turf fields, replacement turf was added to the catchers and batters boxes to fix worn area. Concrete block and floor dugouts with metal roofs were also built. Improved parking was added to fit 250 vehicles from donations made by March-Westin.
In addition to the work done last year, Mylan Park expects to spent more than $690,000 on more renovations. This spring, the fields will be laser-leveled, restrooms and concession stands will be updated, a ticket booth will be built, and fencing will be repaired.
At the turf complex, which holds a baseball and softball field, restrooms will be expanded.
Over the summer, safety netting will be added at the Anker Fields Complex, and portable bleachers, a batting cage and shading will be added at the turf fields.
“We’re only in Year 2 of a 5-year plan, but we’re really excited about the improvements we’ve already had and will have continue to make,” Hernstrom said.
