A new tradition is taking shape for Newton High School baseball.
Just as the Cardinal teams build game by game each season on the field, renovations are building project after project at the Cardinal home field — Eversman Field at Newton’s Woodland Park. A new concrete backstop wall with new fencing were in place for the start of the 2017 high school season.
Now, former Cardinal players, coaches, Newton High alumni, Cardinal fans and community members can show their pride in the NHS baseball program and Eversman Field with engraved bricks for the backstop. For a $100 donation, a decorative brick can be purchased for the outside wall of the backstop.
“We love this field and Woodland Park. It’s a great park and facility for not just Newton high school baseball but for the community,” Newton Cardinal head baseball coach Dustin Brisel said. “The bricks are a way to commemorate and celebrate our rich Cardinal baseball history and tradition.”
With the $100 donation an engraved 4x8 commemorative brick with up to three lines will be added to the backstop wall. The concrete wall has large slots for the bricks to be set into starting later this year.
Brisel said brick order forms can be obtained at the Newton High School main office or by contacting him. Every home game forms are available at the concession stand.
“This Saturday would be a great time to come out and see what we’ve done with the field. The City of Newton did a great job with the handicapped accessible parking and sidewalk to Eversman Field along with the new concrete slabs for bleacher seating around the backstop,” Brisel said. “Brick forms will be available throughout Saturday’s baseball tournament. All the proceeds go right back into the baseball program.”
Newton hosts junior varsity and varsity baseball tournaments Saturday at Woodland Park. Junior varsity games begin at 10 a.m. with consolation and championship games at noon. The varsity tournament games are slated to begin at 3 p.m. with consolation and championship games at 5 p.m.
Before Newton’s varsity plays its second game of the day at 5 p.m., the 2017 Class of the NHS Baseball Hall of Fame will be inducted. Cameron Dlouhy and John Shermerhorn are the inductees.
Newton’s hall of fame plaques have hung on the outfield fence for years, but have been moved to the outside of the right field fence this season. Hall of fame inductees will start having bricks in the backstop instead of fence plaques.
“Our hall of fame bricks will go in the middle section of the backstop wall behind home plate. Those bricks will be free to each inductee,” Brisel said.
Brisel said the backstop at Eversman Field was wooden and had seen better days so work began for a plan to upgrade the backstop and the dugouts for the field.
“It was time to clean some things up. My two years coaching at Woodward-Granger we had a similar project. A lot of ballparks have the concrete wall with a pad inside and a brick facing on the outside,” Brisel said. “I’m installing the pad today (Thursday) and it will be ready for Saturday’s games.”
Brisel said this is a community park, so the brick project helps bring the community into the project. He said Woodland Park and Eversman Field present a great setting to play baseball in.
“Other teams have come in here this season and really complemented us on the new look. We have business signage deals for the outfield fence this season. Businesses can purchase it for a year or go for a three-year deal,” Brisel said.
On the brick forms, there are several examples of what can go on the bricks with three lines of 14 characters or less per line. The examples for the first line are: Gift by, In Honor of, In Memory of as one option or three lines of the person wants on the brick. Brisel said there is a ton of slots for bricks.
“We’re taking orders all summer. This fall you’ll start seeing the walls starting to be filled with bricks. This is an on-going project and anyone who wants to be a part of it can with the donation for a brick,” Brisel said. “We’ve had a great start to the project with orders already.”
Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com