It began in the year 2004, the idea and vision of a new baseball stadium. When the Canton Academy Board of Trustees and Administration began the process of the Capital Campaign we went to them with this vision. Their slogan became our cry and we can now say “ At Canton Academy, WE DID!
Our stadium project has been a large success and is second to none in our area. The field our team plays on is one of the best in the state and our team’s rate with some of the best as well. With the help of many patrons we have accomplished much in a short time and our goal is to have the premier baseball program in the state. A major part of that is a first class facility that our student athletes will be proud of and want to succeed for.
As soon as the project was approved, ground was broke the very next day. Benny Street of Benny Street Enterprises was instrumental in getting the project off to a flying start and he and his company have continued to support the project to our present status. Prior to us starting this building process, we had gained the support of the parents and fans of our baseball program. Only through an overwhelming support of the Canton Academy family could we pull off a project of this magnitude. After all the preliminary plans had been made and the project approved, we began laying the foundation on which the retaining wall would be placed. Drainage systems were placed underground which also surround the girl’s softball field, which had a very bad drainage problem as well. Once all the electrical lines, plumbing lines, water lines, waste pumps and more were installed and all the area was backfilled with dirt we began building the combination press box/concession stand. The blocks for the press box were donated to us and the bricklayers began their job of building our new building. Once the press box had been completed we were then ready to pour the concrete that would really begin to transform our once outdated facility into a baseball grandstand rivaled by few in our state.
In any project like this, every phase creates new and unforeseen problems. We knew we would not be able to update our bleachers because of the cost of new ones, and the old ones just did not fit our new look, so we renovated the old ones with paint and covers and dressed them up to go along with a real, traditional baseball feel. We used traditional baseball colors while still incorporating the Canton Academy colors of Black and Yellow. A wonderful feature of our new grandstand area is restrooms on the back of the concession stand. You no longer will have hike to the football field or the gym to take a rest break. After much of the project had been completed we dressed the area up even more by landscaping all around the park.
Our new baseball facility does not just look like a place for the Canton Academy baseball team to play baseball, but a place where people will want to come and relax and watch their local team compete at a level expected of a ballpark such as this. Build it, and they will come. At Canton Academy, we have built it and they will come, from all over our area to see just what a community can do when everyone works toward a worthwhile goal or project.
The new stadium is the accent of a very well manicured playing surface as evidenced by the overhead shot taken by Mac Marsh. The turf management department from MSU along with Rob Webb over-seed our surface each fall in preparation for our spring baseball season. The field stripes as well as many college and professional fields and once the rye grass begins to grow we have to cut every day or at least every other day.
