Jackson R-2 opens new turf field for baseball, softball programs

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

JACKSON, Mo. (KBSI) — Jackson R-2 School District is celebrating a new home for its baseball and softball programs with the reopening of Jackson Indian Stadium.

The district added a new artificial turf field designed to serve both programs. The project took roughly two and a half months, with crews working through the summer to have the field ready for the start of softball season.

Bryan Austin, associate superintendent of district operations, said the project was part of the district’s existing facilities plan.

“I think a big piece was this was part of our facilities plan prior to me even being in this role, when Dr. Kinder was in my role as part of his five-year facility plan,” Austin said. “So we were trying to wrap up the end of that facilities plan, and this was just a great time for us to be able to do this.”

One of the biggest changes is where Jackson High School’s softball team now plays.

The program previously used a field at the city park. Austin said bringing the team onto the Jackson campus became one of the district’s biggest priorities.

“The biggest factor for us was we wanted to pull the girls out of the city park and give them a home that was on the Jackson campus,” Austin said. “Not that the city park wasn’t. It was a great host for us. We put a lot of time and effort down there, but to really make them have a home that they knew they were coming to every time they could come throughout the year, no matter what time of year it was in practice, was the biggest priority for us.”

Jackson High School Head Softball Coach Jim Brady said the significance of the project goes beyond switching from a natural playing surface to turf.

“Yeah, it’s not even just a turf field, right? I mean, we were over in the city park,” Brady said. “So just for the girls to have a place to call home as well. It just symbolizes how much rich tradition here is in Jackson about athletics. The girls love it. Obviously, a place to call their own. Yes, the ambiance of having the surround sound and music and everything.”

The stadium is designed to accommodate both softball and baseball. Softball fencing will remain in place during the fall before crews take it down for the spring baseball season.

Austin said the layout also allows the baseball team to practice at the facility while softball is in season.

“Yeah, so the entire time in the fall all the fencing will be up for softball,” Austin said. “And then come spring we’ll take it down. Then we’ll start our baseball season. There’s enough room out here right now that even when softball practice is going on, baseball is still able to come out here and practice during their time period that they can, even with the softball fencing up.”

The turf also gives both teams more flexibility during inclement weather.

Austin said rain created repeated practice problems for baseball last season. He said nine of the team’s first 12 practice days were spent indoors.

“Yeah, for us at Jackson, now there’s no reason in the fall or the spring for any of our athletes that get canceled out of practice, canceled out of games,” Austin said. “Obviously in the fall we have a lot better weather for girls softball. But in the spring, for baseball, they get rained out quite often to practice.”

Brady said the softball program is already seeing that benefit.

“You know, we had rain prior this week already and not even have to worry about anything,” Brady said. “And we know that we’re going to play that evening. That’s a major impact for our season and for our girls.”

That reliability also affects visiting teams traveling to Jackson for games.

“Knowing that you’re going to play basically no matter what, no matter what the weather has done in the prior week or the prior weekend or that even that day, like we had rain on Monday, but we played no matter what,” Brady said. “We knew that we were going to play because of the turf field.”

The softball team has already started building memories at its new home. Brady said Jackson won its first game at the renovated stadium against Marquette.

“Our first home game this year against Marquette, we had a walk-off win with a massive crowd behind us and celebrated a wonderful senior who was able to do that, Addison Hurdle. But those are the memories that we’re going to cherish because it was the first ever game here at Jackson Stadium on the new turf.”

The field is one piece of a larger effort to continue improving district facilities.

Austin said Jackson R-2 is now beginning the process of determining what those improvements could look like over the next decade.

“I just think in general, anytime that we can help the student-athlete experience and student experience overall in Jackson, that’s what we want to look to do,” Austin said. “And we’re in the middle of trying to look at what our next 10-year plan is right now for facilities. So we’re diving in that process now to really continue to improve all facilities at Jackson.”