Construction crews and maintenance workers spent the summer modifying the Huskie Baseball Diamond into the gem that head coach Joe “Spanky” McFarland desires.

The field adjacent to Stevenson South Towers, which was the Huskie Softball Diamond until last spring, has been given a small face-lift. The recent renovations will both enhance viewing pleasure for the spectators and aid the players.

“We’ve extended the warning track,” McFarland said. “Now it goes all the way around the field, not just in front of the outfield fence. This way the guys won’t go crashing into the gates on foul balls.”

Having the warning track surround the entire field will prevent potentially dangerous injuries that can be sustained when a player runs out of room in foul territory.

Another renovation was the movement of the backstop. The back wall was pulled closer to home plate in an attempt to rid the diamond of the huge gap between the home and visiting dugouts.

Moving the wall also makes room for a new area of bleachers that is expected to be installed before the start of the spring campaign.

Huskie Diamond is on the verge of being a highly respectable baseball field, compared to the history behind it.

Softball head coach Dee Abrahamson, whose team occupied the field until 1990, sees the field in a much improved state.

“We took over the field when baseball folded eight years ago,” said Abrahamson. “We played our games at Anderson Field and playing there wasn’t one of the greatest things to do.

“When baseball left, we jumped at the opportunity to play there. So the field has gone from baseball to makeshift softball back to baseball and, considering the fact that we didn’t play a home game in 1989 because of its condition, it really looks good.”

When baseball left, we jumped at the opportunity to play there. So the field has gone from baseball to makeshift softball back to baseball and, considering the fact that we didn’t play a home game in 1989 because of its condition, it really looks good.”