Cape School Board OKs new baseball/softball field

By a unanimous vote, with two members absent, the Cape Girardeau School Board voted Monday to authorize superintendent Neil Glass to negotiate a contract "not to exceed $1.25 million" for synthetic turf installation and stadium upgrades to the Central High School baseball and softball complex at 1000 Silver Springs Road.

The contractor, ATG Sports Industries, is familiar to the district; the company put in the turf at Tiger Stadium in 2012, where the school plays its football and soccer games.

Glass said the district's current fund balance of $12.7 million means the project can have the green light.

"Ever since 2008, when I arrived here (at the school district), I've been hearing how the baseball field needs attention," said Glass, citing the long-term problem of lack of topsoil and hillside drainage.

"We've been fighting year after year to remediate that," he added.

A visual representation of the new Central High School baseball/softball complex. The "not to exceed" $1.25 million project will begin in September and will be ready for 2022 baseball season for the Tigers.Courtesy Cape Girardeau School District

Board member Jared Ritter called the new field, on which work is slated to start Sept. 1, "long overdue."

High school baseball coach Justin Lieser told the board he will not miss the early-morning work that has been necessary to keep the current field serviceable.

"Having to detarp at 6:30 in the morning before the school day starts just in the hope of getting an afternoon game in is hard on sleep," he said, adding the all-weather turf will be attractive to surrounding high schools looking for a quality field.

"We can bring them in and showcase what Cape Central has to offer (and) our field will be the premier field in the area."

The proposal statement distributed to the board added further details.

"The installation of a fully synthetic field will eliminate many (of our current) issues and (will) provide a first class experience for the fans and athletes. The demand for usage of a field of this quality is very high and a synthetic field allows for almost 24/7 utilization. This field will become the primary field for the softball and baseball programs," read the release.

Central bubble

Cape Girardeau police training and public information officer Sgt. Joseph Hann said Monday a patrol unit responded to 1920 Whitener St., the Central Municipal "bubble" pool, at 10:45 p.m. Saturday and found outdoor furniture thrown into the water.

Hann added there was no damage to cost the city any money in repairs, according to pool staff who inspected the facility afterward.