By Debbie Burt Myers
School officials opened the new $2.5 million baseball/softball field house at Neshoba Central on Monday with a ribbon cutting.
The new 6,200-square-foot facility is near the two ball fields and includes, among other amenities, new public restrooms for fans.
The bid was awarded to Construction Services Inc. of Meridian. PryorMorrow of Columbus was the architect. The project will be paid for with school funds.
The field house includes 45 lockers in each of the girls’ and boys’ dressing rooms. There is space for a weight room, coaches’ offices, uniform and equipment storage as well as restroom facilities for the players.
Neshoba County Superintendent of Education Lundy Brantley called the new facility an investment in students, staff and the community.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “We’ve never had a facility dedicated to just baseball and softball.”
Dr. Brantley said the facility would serve as shelter for coaches and players should a storm pop up.
“So, it’s a good safe spot for players,” he said. “This shows our kids that if you work really, really hard, you will see over time that you can get what you want. No longer do we have to go to other places and say, ‘I sure wish we had that.’ Now people are coming here and saying to us, ‘I sure wish we had what you have.’”
Dr. Brantley said the new facility was not only gorgeous but also user-friendly, particularly for fans.
“I’m just so proud of the new restrooms for the public,” he said. “The men’s and women’s rooms are both three times the size of the previous ones. This really helps us on game nights when baseball and softball play at the same time. That is a major plus. It is very fan friendly.”
The new metal building was bricked, in part, to match other nearby buildings on campus.
New sidewalks make the facility more handicapped accessible.
Head baseball coach Jonathan Jones, head softball coach Zac Sanders and assistant superintendent Tommy Holland helped design the new field house.
Holland, who is also the athletic director, said players, coaches, parents and fans will take pride in the new “premier” field house for years to come.