By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
Adam Skokowski and Keith Coleman see the progress daily now.
For almost two years, both watched from a few hundred yards away as constant construction continued on a state-of-the-art complex that will house a new baseball and softball stadium on the campus of Piedmont High School.
First, dirt moved but it didn’t take the shape of anything recognizable. Now, steel and mortar rise to form an unmistakable sight.
It’s a $5.8 million two-sport complex that should rival any high school baseball/softball facility in the metro area. The project is part of a $71-million bond issue passed in 2016.
The softball and baseball stadiums, which will share a conjoined press box, are expected to be complete by Sept 1, or possibly shortly after, weather permitting. It will replace a pair of venerable complexes located about a mile off campus that’s served as Piedmont’s home fields for more than three decades.
‘In the last month or so, there’s been more buzz because you can drive by and see the layout of everything,” PHS softball head coach Keith Coleman said. “The girls have been going by after summer workouts to check on the progress.”
SOFTBALL FACILITY TO BE NICER ‘THAN 99 PERCENT IN THE STATE’
Coleman is proud of Piedmont’s current facility. The playing surface is top notch and there have been several small upgrades made in recent years.
“I really like our current softball field, It’s got a lot of charm, but it’s not as nice as some of the places we go to,” he said. “We don’t have an office, players don’t have private restrooms and our locker room isn’t connected to our dugout.”
That will all change at the new facility. Piedmont will have a state-of-the at complex with a plush locker room located immediately behind its home dugout. There will also be coaches offices and a laundry facility onsite.
“It’s going to be a first class facility. They’ve let us be in all the meetings and be part of the design process,” Coleman said. “We’ve gotten everything we’ve wanted.”
The playing surface will be all turf – which will cut down on rainouts of games and practices as well as maintenance costs – with the nicest outfield wall available, Coleman said. The facility will also have a ‘world class scoreboard,’ spacious dugouts and lighting for night games.
“It will be nicer than 99 percent of high school facilities in the state,” Coleman said.
Dimensions of the park will mirror the state tournament field in Oklahoma City. The centerfield fence will be 220 feet from home plate with both the left and right field lines measuring 200 feet. It’s slightly bigger than Piedmont’s current field, which is 200 feet throughout the outfield.
Piedmont’s first home game is Aug. 12. The hope is, Coleman said, to host its first game in the new stadium by early September.
The Lady ‘Cats won the state title in 2019 and are expected to vie for the state tournament again this season. Coleman is happy they’ll do so in a first-class facility.
“Our kids deserve it. Softball and baseball have been very successful in Piedmont over the years and I’m glad the administration and community of Piedmont are so supportive of us,” he said.
ALL TURF BASEBALL FIELD WILL BE UNIQUE
Piedmont’s new baseball field will stand apart from its competitors’ playing surfaces.
Putnam City High School is the only school on the west side of the state with an all-turf field, and the outfield turf there is more than a decade old, Skokowski said.
Simply put, Piedmont will have a one-of-a-kind facility.
“This is definitely a first for me. I’ve been at some places that have had some old ballparks,” he said. “Not too many coaches are as lucky as I am.”
Skokowski said the turf will mean less work for players and coaches. Currently, they spend several hours per week working on the field during the season.
Skowkowski said having the team’s lockerroom and coaches offices connected to the dugout will be great for team chemistry, too.
“I hope the kids appreciate it, because this is not the norm,” he said. “We’ll be playing on a high school field that will be nicer than most of the fields these kids will play on in college.”
DIRT MOVING ON NEW ARENA
Construction on the new home of Piedmont basketball is underway.
Work began on the seven-phase, $19.3 million project in May. Completion of the 1900-seat arena is still to be determined.
Voters approved – by a 61% to 39% margin (60 percent needed to pass) – a $37 million bond issue in February 2020 that provided the funds for the gymnasium as a new FEMA safe room, secure entrance, connection of buildings, additional classrooms, a new media center, new cafeteria, band room, middle school offices and significant renovations to Piedmont Middle School.
“Our basketball programs are both extremely successful,” Superintendent James White said. “We want to continue to build upon on achievements as a district and this bond will ensure that we can provide the best facilities and equipment for our kids.”
Piedmont’s wrestling and volleyball programs would also use the arena.
