Park Hills, Mo. (KFMO) – Fans attending Mineral Area College baseball games can expect a new look at Hal Loughary Field this season.
Crews have worked through the offseason laying a new all-turf playing surface and renovating the area behind home plate. A new red-padded backstop stretches from dugout to dugout.
Gone is the chain link fence behind the dish, a mesh overhang drapes to the padded backstop protecting fans from foul balls. Also added are new canopied bleachers that wrap the backstop and updates to the press box.
The scoreboard has been shifted from right field to left field and new fencing wraps the entire playing field.
MAC baseball head coach Blake Jones says it was a full team effort from members of the community and school administration to complete the renovations.
The Cardinals began the season last weekend taking two games out of the three game series at Southwest Mississippi. Allen Hernandez homered twice in the season opener, and Jett Sutton struck out 10 batters. Sam Weinstein hit a grand slam in the third game of the series.
Jones assesses the roster at the early portion of the new year.
MAC will travel to Wesson, Mississippi later this week for a four game series with Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
The Cardinals open the home portion of the schedule on February 26 with a doubleheader against conference opponent St. Louis Community College.