Comets field taking shape

Details

Published on Saturday, October 31, 2015

By Justin Froese

Nearly two months after Rivers Comets took the field for the last time in 2015, club members and generous community members have worked cohesively to get a leg up on preparations for the 2016 season. In hopes of returning to the community for their sophomore season, a series of laborious tasks needed to be completed in a time sensitive manner to ease the transition next spring.

Although Mother Nature and the harvest season made scheduling more difficult than drafted on paper, Comets persevered and are right on schedule. The priority for this fall was to strip the infield area of the diamond and make a legal and playable surface. With the dedication of several Comets players, local contractors and hardworking volunteers, we were able to complete this task on the weekend of Oct. 17. 

Gill Farms Ltd. kindly donated machinery and gravel trucks to allow us to procure red clay from Winkler, a necessary and elusive component to construct our base paths. Raven Trucking delivered and donated a load of clay which enabled us to construct a hard-packed surface to build a batter’s box and pitching mound to the required specifications. Gill’s Plumbing & Heating, M&M Drilling, Paddock Drilling, Grant Murray of Cando Rail Services, Greg Kowalchuck, Kroeger Backhoe Services, Ted Krahn, Ross Tycoles, McFadden Farms and the Riverdale Municipality offered expertise and equipment on a whim, which enabled us to accomplish this portion of our project. Several other individuals have aided us significantly and continue to work closely with Rivers Comets to help this project move forward, although there is still significant work to do. We appreciate all donors and volunteers; none of this could be a reality without the overwhelming support we have received. 

The next Comets activity to come to the plate is the first annual New Year’s social, which will be located at Riverdale Community Centre. The social will begin at 9 p.m. and will feature a silent auction as well as late lunch. Tickets will be on sale at a later date and will be available from Comets players as well as select local businesses. Clear your calendars and ring in the New Year with Rivers Comets!

To keep posted on the upcoming festivities and for progress in our quest to bring baseball to Rivers, follow our Facebook page: Rivers Comets Baseball Club and Twitter: @riverscomets.