First pitch thrown at All-Play Ballpark

The All- Play Ballpark in Parkersburg is one step nearer completion. The first pitch of the Little League season was thrown on Wedne sday, May 16.

Four diamonds, three for Little League baseball and softball and one for middle school are 95-percent complete. They just need dugout tops and scoreboards to be finished.

“It feels great to have this step in the process of building All- Play Ballpark completed,” said Diamonds and Fields founder Matt Waller. “So many people in our AP community have volunteered to help get us to this point. When the Miracle League field and concessions building are completed, that will be a wonderful feeling.”

Additional work is needed yet to complete what Diamonds and Fields board member Dan Bruns calls the crown jewel of the entire project, the handicap- accessible Miracle Field. The field is anticipated to be ready for play later this summer, and the soccer fields are slated to be ready this fall. There will also be a concession stand, bathrooms, storage and indoor batting cages.

Construction began in June 2016. By the end of 2018, the entire project should be complete. Little League coach Rusty Eddy said kindergarteners were excited and wide-eyed their first ever practice at the new fields Monday.

“They were excited to say the least. It was good to see all the hard work come to fruition, and there is a handful of people that deserve a ton of credit for getting this project to the point where the kids can actually play on the diamond,” Eddy said.

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