Vernon Hills junior catcher Juliana Gudmundson will have less to worry about on game days next season.
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Gudmundson often dealt with the unknown when she was a freshman. Spring weather caused many games to be postponed due to unplayable conditions on the Cougars’ antiquated field.
“It was really difficult to prepare for games with the uncertainty over the field because we often would not be told if our game was canceled or not until the very last minute,” said Gudmundson, whose sophomore season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“As an underclassman, it was difficult because if the game was canceled, I would have to figure out how I would get home from school with all my bags and equipment.”
So Vernon Hills is excited about the renovations nearing completion. A turf field, a batting cage and a pitching tunnel were added to provide student-athletes with better resources.
“I’m excited for our softball players and coaches,” Vernon Hills athletic director Brian McDonald said. “This is a great improvement to our softball facility. I’m thankful to the (Community High School District 128) Board of Education, the district administration, the principal and the grounds department.
“Everybody was aligned. The turf infield is going to be very helpful and is a good setup for our softball program.”
Vernon Hills junior shortstop Kayla Lorenz said the entire program should benefit from the new complex.
“I think the turf field is going to allow for us to get in more games and outdoor practices, which will better the team and get us ready for the season,” Lorenz said. “The batting cage will definitely help us get in more reps with the bigger outdoor space. It’s amazing.”
Junior catcher/outfielder Allison Wade said the field will make it possible to play more games.
“We’ll have so many more opportunities to play no matter the weather that was seen earlier in the day,” Wade said.
Vernon Hills softball coach Jan Pauly, a longtime fan of dirt infields, is among those excited about the turf. Pauly said the turf infield will give her players more open-gym opportunities before the season starts, while the batting cages solve safety problems.
“The turf field is beautiful,” Pauly said. “This will allow us to get outside earlier in March instead of practicing inside. We’ll lose less games in general because we have a playable field. It’s great for softball and the community.
“We had a batting cage before, but it became a safety hazard because we had to limit the number of kids in the area. We now have additional square footage with two new batting cages and integrated hitting. It’s a huge upgrade. It’s state-of-the-art and will make our batting practice more efficient. The pitching tunnel will help for pregame warmups, in-game warmups and pitching practice.”
Gudmundson said the revamp also will lead to less game-day work on rainy days.
“The new field does not need the same maintenance that a dirt field would need,” she said. “If it rains, it just drains, while on a dirt field, we would have to rake and put down dry sand, and even then the field was sometimes too wet to play on. … I think these new additions will help our team since it’s giving us so much more space to practice.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.