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| Let the games begin! |
Special guest and longtime supporter of
Savannah athletics, Ashley Dearing, preparing for the opening pitch |
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| Construction plans began in January 2004 |
Initial construction began in June 2004, but the 2004
hurricane season delayed construction for months |
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| Sprinklers and turf were installed during the fall of 2005 |
Paul Sumner spreading clay |
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| Wilton Harper on grass duty |
Freddie Jones and Paul Godley |
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| Paul McCarthy |
John Harrelson paints the dugout |
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| Sophomore Jonathon Hester (#10) hits the first home run on the Raider's new field |
Coach Carter with Ashley Dearing |
New Baseball Field Opens
February 28th, 2006 will long live in the memory of the many fans that turned out to see the first home game
played on the Chatham Parkway campus since the 2004 season! The new field is open and ready for business!
Among the special guests on hand to see this inaugural home game were:
- Coach Lanier, who began the Raider baseball program many years ago came out to see how the program
that he began has not only continued, but flourished.
- Ashley Dearing, longtime Savannah athletic supporter was a special honored guest for this first game
After just one inning the Raider’s first home run came from #10 Jonathon Hester, a sophomore. This exciting run was
the first official game run on the new field and a testament to the hard work and effort made by this young team.
The Raiders grew their lead set early in the game won with a 6-0 score!
The enthusiasm was overwhelming as every person could see the end result of months and months of planning and
hard work. Over the past few months, more than twenty-five families invested resources and sweat equity
into the field and surrounding facillities. The players themselves even pitched in to help build the field
from scratch.
After the formerly wooded site was cleared and graded, workers, parents, coaches, players, alumni and friends
worked together to:
- Install a sprinkler system consisting of three wells distributing water through 8,000 feet of irrigation pipe
and more than 50 sprinkler heads
- Lay and roll more than 100,000 square feet of sod
- Install fencing
- Import and spread clay for the infield (the same kind of clay used on the Atlanta Braves baseball field)
and build the pitcher’s mound
- Design and build a home dugout that includes players facilities with lockers and benches, along with a built-in utility
and equipment room
- Build a visitor's dugout
- Paint the dugouts, along with a special Raider touch added by Debbie Fairbanks and Wendy Patrick - a team logo painted on the back wall
- Build a scorekeeper’s platform
- Wire the field for lights
- Install foul poles
- Build batting cages
- Build a bull pen
- Install a PA system
- Install a scoreboard
Many, many thanks to the following for their donations and assistance:
- Freddie Jones and Mercer Transportation
- Pat McCarthy and Rabey Electric (scoreboard installation, including an amazing cable tunneling job across the field)
- Robbie Beck and DRW Construction
- Don and Barbara Cogdell and Cogdell and Mendralla Architects
- L. E. Wells and Clark's Block (concrete blocks for the dugouts)
- Parker Precast Company for donating heavy equipment
- Coach Ashley Barnwell
- Eddie Boaen
- Coach Allen Brannen
- Coach Carl Carter '74
- Dee DeMasi
- JP Godley
- Paul Godley
- Wilton Harper
- John and Elizabeth Harrelson
- Cliff Hester
- Billy Hill
- Chris Johnson
- Tommy Jordon
- Doyle Kelley
- Coach Harry Miles
- Gary Nesbit
- Tim Rearick
- Coach Billy Shelton
- Bill Sisolak
- Paul Sumner (primary liaison and parent organizer)
- DeWayne Thomas '80
- Mike Wilson
- Greg Wynn
- Players
- Chris Arnold
- Robbie Beck
- Chad Boaen
- Alex Demaio
- Clay Harrelson
- Jonathan Hester
- Kyle Jones
- Cheshier Johnson
- Kevin McCarthy
- Chris Rearick
- Nate Sisolak
- Tyler Sumner
- Kevin Wilson
- Kaleb Wynn
The patience and hard work invested in this huge project made finally playing on this field of dreams
especially sweet!
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