Baseball diamond gets upgrade

By Fernando Moreno-Prado Times Contributor

Earlier this month, the Strathmore & District Agricultural Society announced the completion of the upgrades for the Ag Society’s largest baseball diamond that began in late August.

“Anybody who was driving past the ball diamonds over the last month probably saw tons of equipment out there,” said Strathmore & District Agricultural Society rental coordinator Danielle Paddock. 

Construction is now complete and the diamonds will be ready in the spring for the 2025 baseball season.

The field known as Diamond 1 has benefitted from the upgrades. The ball diamonds have not seen an upgrade in over 30 years other than maintenance.

Diamond 1 was chosen for the upgrade because it is the Ag Society’s largest diamond and is the most sought-after field during tournaments and league play.

The upgrades include regrading, new sod, shale, fence upgrades and a new sprinkler system. These improvements are intended to benefit local baseball teams and improve the chances of hosting more tournaments.

The month-long project ran smoothly thanks to the involvement of some local companies. Landscape Plus did the water lines, while Links Landscaping repaired the fencing. English Lawns laid the sod. Gray’s Limited did the excavation and regrading.

“Shale is extremely hard to come by now, so we were very thankful that Gallagher Trucking had shale available for the project,” said Paddock.

As funds become available, the Strathmore & District Agricultural Society is always looking for ways to improve the grounds but does not currently have a specific project in mind.