|
BRYANT FIELD'S REVIVAL
When Bill Rogan was named the inaugural manager of the first year Marysville Drakes, he was excited to have historic Bryant Field as his home park."I had seen pictures of the park and it looked great," Rogan said. "I was looking forward to seeing the park in person."To say the veteran Pecos League skipper was disappointed when he first set eyes upon Bryant Field is an understatement."It was last February and I realize most fields need some preseason maintenance," Rogan recalled. "But I wasn't prepared to see a field that was in such poor shape. Frankly, I wasn't sure the playing surface would be up to professional standards by Opening Day. It seemed impossible."
Enter Highlands Community Charter School based out of Sacramento. Highlands helps students get their High School Diploma and foriegn students earn their American High School Diplomas.Highlands also tackles community projects and three of their directors, Doc Smith, Rich Henning and Mike Reid decided to return Bryant Field to it's former glory.It helped that all three men loved baseball, but more importantly, knew how to revive an ailing baseball field.By the first game of the 2023 season, the transformation was complete.
"Unbelievable," Pecos League Commissioner Andrew Dunn said. "Highlands not only made the field playable, they made it Major League quality. I can't tell you how much our league appreciates their their efforts. We have some nice fields for sure, but Bryant Field is truly second to none."
As of this February, the Bryant Field diamond is nearly ready for game action. From last February to now, the change has been staggering."It's a privlege to play at such a beautiful ballpark," Rogan said. "The history of the place and the pristine playing surface makes it a pleasure to enter the gates every day. I can't thank the Highlands people enough. We are very fortuntunate to play in such a nice facility and I know our fans appreciate it too."
|
