Keystone christens new softball/baseball fields

LAGRANGE — Last year, to enjoy a Keystone baseball or softball game and track meet all in the same day one would have to walk nearly 11 miles. Now that walk won't even take five minutes. The Wildcats celebrated the opening of their new baseball and softball fields, which now share a parking lot with the high school and are less than a five-minute walk from the football stadium. The nearly $1.3 million facility brings the school's baseball and softball teams back to campus and allows fans to enjoy every varsity sport all in one place. "I'm so happy that we're going to be able to see this now," Keystone athletic director Jeff Holzhauer said. "You guys know me, I'm a track guy. My first love for track came from me wandering off during my sister's softball games at the school and watching high school track meets. That interaction between all of our athletes — going from baseball, going from softball, going to track — that's what a nice spring day is supposed to look like. That's something we haven't had at Keystone in a long time. Those are my best memories as a kid growing up and I'm so happy to see these young kids here be able to build those same types of memories that I had." The fields were funded through a combination of support from the district and the community, most notably the Keystone Athletic Teams Supporters booster group, which raised about $650,000 for the fields. KATS president Mike Conrad said that with this donation the booster club has contributed nearly $1.5 million to the kids of the community since its inception in 1996. Nearly 200 people came out to celebrate the grand opening and 30 donors were honored with a sign at the entrance of the two fields. The 10 founders club donors helped get the project off the ground while the 20 baseline club donors provided the funds needed for enhancements. "This is what we've dreamt about as far as being able to put these things together," Conrad said. "Work together to make something like this happen. I just want to thank all the administration here from the bottom of my own heart." Keystone softball is one of the most successful programs in Ohio, winning five state championships and finishing state runnerup seven times. Its 2012 team was crowned national champions. The team has played at LaGrange Community Park for decades. The baseball team has played its games at Penfield Recreation Park for nearly as long. "I am deeply grateful to this community for welcoming me and giving this program a chance to leave its mark on the field," Keystone softball coach Anna Saxton said. "What you see here is more than just a facility. It's a reflection of Keystone softball's past, present and future. As we step onto these new fields, I want to remind everyone this is not about closing a chapter, it's about carrying forward and honoring the legacy for Keystone softball." One tradition that will continue is the formation of the Keystone alley. The varsity softball team takes the first-base dugout and the junior varsity team takes the third-base dugout so Keystone fans can all sit together and watch both games. That will continue on the high school campus, but with tthe baseball and softball teams combining to form the alley. "We always had a slew of our best fans close to the dugout at the baseball field," Keystone baseball coach Bert Fitzgerald said. "With the energy between the baseball and the softball fans, it's going to be incredible. Most of the time softball games end a little quicker than baseball games, so hopefully we'll have a lot of their fans sticking around to watch us." The teams will continue to use the respective parks for their junior varsity, middle school and youth programs. Plus, LaGrange Community Park is a longtime host of the Prebis Memorial Classic, one of the top softball tournaments in Ohio. Bringing both varsity teams home to campus will allow the community to unite at one site, just as it did on Saturday. "Today is more than just a first pitch or a ribbon cutting," Keystone superintendent Zach Weagley said. "It's a symbol of what happens when a community comes together around a shared vision. That's what we're trying to do here today as well as for the rest of the district. It pays tribute to the tradition of Keystone athletics, to our softball and our baseball programs, and it's going to set us up for the future." Contact Chris Sweeney at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on X.