Spence

LA GRANDE — A spring makeover is on deck for Lions Field at Pioneer Park.

Plans are being made for major restoration work at the La Grande field, the site of countless spring and summer baseball games each year. The project, which may be done this spring, will involve elevating more than 100 square feet of the home plate area.

“It needs to be raised to match the elevation of the infield,” La Grande Parks and Recreation Director Stu Spence said.

Spence said this would go a long way toward improving drainage of water from the infield at Lions Field.

“We struggle with water collecting on the plate, which makes it hard to keep the field playable,” he said.

This was apparent last week at Lions Field, where puddles of water created mud at home plate. The process of elevating the home plate area will include bringing in a large amount of dirt. The soil will be added from home plate to the backstop and down portions of the first base and third base lines.

Spence said another critical need at Lions Field that will be addressed are its dugouts. He said the metal siding needs to be replaced, and while that project is underway signs of deterioration will be checked for.

“There may be some rot and other areas in the framing that need to be repaired at that time,” he said.

La Grande Lions Club steps up

Much of the restoration work will be funded with money raised by the La Grande Lions Club.

“We want to assist in every way we can to help with the maintenance of the field,” Brent Lewis, a member of the La Grande Lions Club, said.

The Lions Club conducted a spare rib dinner earlier this month at the Union County Senior Center to raise funds for the improvements to be made to the field at Pioneer Park. Nearly 250 meals were served at the event, put on with major help from Island City Market & Deli, Cock & Bull Villa Roma and Community Connection of Northeast Oregon.

Spence said the Lions Club, which has adopted Lions Field, has been instrumental in moving the renovation project forward.

“We are grateful for the Lions Club and appreciate their adoption of the field,” he said.

Parker McKinley, the head coach of La Grande High School’s baseball team, which won the 2022 class 4A state title, said work on the field, including the improvement of its drainage system, will make it possible for more games to be played on it.

“We want as many teams as possible to be able to use it despite the tough weather we have,” he said.

Those using Lions Field each year include La Grande High School’s two junior varsity teams, La Grande Little League and the Eastern Oregon University baseball team.

Spence said these are just the organized groups using the field, noting that hundreds of community members and families come to play on it each year.Dick Mason is a reporter with The Observer. Contact him at {span data-sheets-value=”{“ data-sheets-userformat=”{“}541-624-6016{/span} or dmason@lagrandeobserver.com.