Thomas County Central High School’s baseball field has earned a home run endorsement. The field has been selected as one of the state’s best by the Georgia Dugout Club.
“The hard work given by players, coaches and parents resulted in TCCHS baseball field being recognized as one of the top baseball fields in the state,” coach Ryan Strickland said. “This is truly an accomplishment that brings pride to our community and school.”
Strickland’s goal, when he arrived at TCCHS two years ago, was to ensure the baseball field would be one that players, coaches and the community would be proud to call their home field. Attaining such a field takes much dedication and a variety of invested parties.
“Throughout summer baseball and offseason workouts, the coaching staff put in a lot of extra, unseen hours to make sure the field is in top condition,” he said.
Also, parents have donated their time and equipment to help guarantee facilities are in top condition. Players take part in maintenance efforts as well.
Junior Tyler Carter says what makes the TCCHS field a top one is the attention paid to its upkeep.
“We never let it get overgrown, the grass is always green, and we make sure the dirt is perfect before and after every practice and game,” he said.
Junior Nick Herndon is honored that his school’s field was selected as a top field because of the team’s efforts to make it look great.
“Coach Strickland has set an example of work ethic for us to follow and it has paid off,” he said.
Strickland says improvements made to the school’s baseball facilities wouldn’t be possible without the support of various system staff and entities: Superintendent of Thomas County Schools Dr. Dusty Kornegay, the Thomas County Board of Education, TCCHS Athletic Director Sam Holland, TCCHS Principal Trista Jones, and Thomas County Schools Director of Facilities and Maintenance John Hebron.
“We are blessed to have such a fantastic fan base and school system to help fund our program and keep our facilities as one of the best around,” senior Jackson NeSmith says. “Having a great field gives us pride in our program and optimism for where it is headed.”
These enhancements include a new field house with a locker room, an office for the coaches and a full service concession stand. Enhancements have been made to the field itself as well. Skinned dirt areas have been replaced and conditioned to support a firm playing surface, Strickland says. This means practices and games are less likely to be cancelled due to a wet field, which keeps the season’s schedule from becoming backed up and putting unnecessary strain on the athletes.
“Players now have firm footing when running on the dirt and infielders can expect true hops for the most part,” he explains. “The conditioning of the dirt has provided us with practice time that would normally be missed due to rain. We recently had two days of heavy rain before our scrimmage and the field was in perfect condition with minimal prep needed. The more we are able to get on the field, the more opportunities our players have to get better.”
The TCCHS baseball program was given a plaque in recognition of its dedication, commitment and hard work, Strickland said. He calls the TCCHs field one of the best in South Georgia and a rival to others around the state.
“A baseball field is more than grass and dirt; it is a playing surface,” Strickland said. “Every little detail of the field affects the game – the speed of the ground ball and the bounce it will take. Our field is a place where our team and opposing teams can enjoy playing. They are playing on the best.”