Members of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have volunteered their time and expertise to help install a new drainage system underneath a youth baseball field in the Southern Maryland area.
Under the jurisdiction of the Southern Maryland Youth Organization (SMYO), the baseball field, located in Pomfret, M.D., has been subjected to infield and outfield flooding issues over the past several seasons. The SMYO board of directors indicated that a new in-ground drainage system would ease the issues that have plagued the beleaguered field for an extended period of time and has led to problems retaining existing youth participants.
“A major problem we have to address is the proper drainage and maintenance of our fields,” said Jodi Brill, an SMYO board member. “These issues have resulted in excessive weather-related game cancellations [over] the past few years. This lack of opportunity to compete each year has resulted in many of our youth to seek out other organizations to join.”
Blue Crabs Head Groundskeeper Kyle Ackerman will utilize his expertise of field and turf management by overseeing the project for SMYO.
“With the help of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, we have something these other organizations do not have access to – the knowledge and expertise of a professional baseball organization,” said Brill. “Groundskeeper Kyle Ackerman has graciously provided his knowledge of professional field design and maintenance to make needed repairs to our largest field. He is also providing training to our volunteers so that we can properly maintain the fields once repairs are completed.”
A group of volunteers from both SMYO and the Blue Crabs front office will begin work on the field on Nov. 7 and are expected to have the drainage system installed by Nov. 8 in order to complete repairs before the ground freezes.
The Blue Crabs play 140 regular season games in the Atlantic League, considered the highest level of Minor League Baseball. Atlantic League players are “Major League ready” and in the last 16 years, over 600 players have graduated from Atlantic League clubs to Major League organizations, making the League a preferred route for experienced players to be scouted by Major League Baseball. The Blue Crabs play at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland. The franchise will look to open its 8th season on Friday, April 24, 2015. Please call 301-638-9788 or visit www.SOMDbluecrabs.com for more information and to save your seat at the ballpark today!
