Sports here at the high school are a huge part of many students’ lives, and now spring has started and we have welcomed back our spring sports for the 2025 season. Lakewood offers lacrosse, track, boys’ tennis, softball, and baseball. Many students, family, staff, and friends come out to support students as they do what they enjoy most. However, while everyone is focused on what is happening during the game, no one notices the conditions of the fields they are playing on.
Baseball and softball have very similar field layouts. They both form a diamond with four bases: first base, second base, third base, and home plate. Both have a designated area in the middle of all the bases for the pitcher, known as the infield. Each sport also has an outfield, the grassy area beyond the bases.
“Our infield is amazing but the outfield is definitely something that could be improved, there are giant holes, trash always in it and people constantly let their dogs go to the bathroom on the turf and outfield,” junior Emily Gillick said.
Although both sports follow a similar design, the conditions between the two fields are much different than you can imagine.
Before 2017, Lakewood High School’s softball field was located at Harding Middle School, there was no softball field located within the school’s property. Once reconstruction of the High School ended and students no longer had to travel across the street to get to their next class, our Lakewood Rangers softball field was built on the former construction staging area for the High School right by the North Lot. The construction of the softball field cost $425,000 and brought back softball at the High School along with a place for field events for track and a recreational softball field for our community.
Around five years later, in 2022, Lakewood added a locker room to the girl’s softball field along with public restrooms and concessions.
“The bumps and holes in our outfield have affected our team. Injuries and errors during games have happened because of it, but we are very lucky to have a place to play,” Gillick said.
Even though there has been much improvement for this new and improved softball field, its quality has not been able to keep up with our Rangers. Since the outfield of the softball field is made up of grass, many practices and games have had to be canceled because the conditions of the field cannot be played in because of weather.
“I think everyone is very grateful to have a turf infield because most schools don’t but the baseball team has a much better field than us considering they have a full turf outfield and infield,” Gillick said.
Not only has the outfield caused some problems for our girls, but the way the field is set up also causes problems that could risk the girls’ safety.
“Our bullpens are facing the dugout, so if the pitcher throws a crazy pitch, it goes over the fence into the dugout full of her teammates,” Junior Ella Bower said.
Lakewood High School has had the baseball field for many years; it has been around since 1941. In recent years, the baseball field has been able to get some big upgrades. In 2023, Lakewood City Schools spent about $746,000 on new turf for the baseball field. New turf for the baseball field meant many different things. Turf is one of those materials that can go through a lot but still hold up well; because it is artificial, it is able to withstand bad weather conditions like rain, causing fewer games to have to be put off.
“The baseball field is also locked,” Bower said. “Therefore, no one is allowed on that field unless the coach or athletic trainer for the high school is aware. With the softball field being unlocked, we have had dogs, kids on bikes, and even a band has been on our field.”
Along with the new upgrades to the turf, there were also new upgrades to the batter’s box and the pitcher’s mound to bring together the renovations of the baseball field.
Though there are differences between our fields here at the high school, that has not stopped our girls’ softball and boys’ baseball teams from dominating the field. Overall the girls are 5-2 and 4-1 in their conference. The boys are 6-2 overall and 2-1 in their conference.
For both teams, their dedication is shown. Every player perseveres and gives their all a hundred percent of the time, no matter the conditions or obstacles they are faced with.
“The dogs all over the field have left their feces, expecting us to clean them up, so that’s always a good pregame activity,” Bower said.
Support your Lakewood Rangers baseball and softball teams at our home fields at their next home games. Softball plays next at home on Thursday, April 17. Against Buckeye High School at 5:00 pm. Baseball has its next home game on Friday, May 2. They face off against St. Edward’s High School for their Friday Night Under the Lights game. Come out and support the rangers as they face off against our neighbor team from down the street, along with our girls.
