Forest Hills Central has announced that the baseball and softball fields will be redone, and the grass will be replaced with turf fields. Many people have different opinions on whether these turf fields are going to be beneficial to the players.
The construction of the turf fields is set to begin immediately following the conclusion of this coming baseball/softball season. So, the beginning of the summer of 2026, according to Jonathon Goei, the athletic director of FHC. The construction of the fields is set to be done by late January/early February of 2027. Both the varsity baseball and softball fields will be replaced with turf, but the freshman baseball field may be removed to create more space for more tennis courts.
Having this turf will allow for more consistent playing fields, with the grounds team not having to mow the lawn consistently and keep up with painting the lines, which opens up more time for the maintenance workers.
“Field maintenance is also tricky, as our grounds team is responsible for covering a lot of territory in the district,” stated Goei. “Mowing, weeding, painting, cutting, etc. They do a great job, but it is a ton, and it is taxing on them.”
Having turf also creates a lot fewer weather challenges when living in Michigan. Having the dirt/grass fields is a huge limiting factor when it starts to rain more in the early spring. Games have to be canceled and rescheduled due to the field conditions, but with the new turf fields, water can drain quickly and efficiently, unlike grass fields, which flood more easily. This is why having these turf fields will benefit the softball and baseball programs, so they don’t have to worry as much about rescheduling games.
Baseball players and softball players have some opinions on whether or not they think the turf fields will be beneficial to FHC. For the most part, the student athletes, like Senior Gibson Wierenga, reflect that the turf fields will overall be an improvement.
“I think they will be beneficial,” stated Wierenga. “There will be much less maintenance that needs to be done by players and staff, and a little rain won’t greatly affect our chance of playing.”
Not only does Gibson think the fields are beneficial, but so does Sophomore Cohen Stinson, who agrees that the turf fields will raise the bar for Softball and Baseball.
“I think they will be helpful,” said Stinson. “The turf fields are a game-changer when it comes to playing conditions.”
Overall, the players mentioned agree that the turf fields will be an improvement, not just for them but also for the staff who have to maintain the field and keep it from growing out too much. Players also help maintain the field by raking the dirt, which is why it would be useful to have a field with no dirt to rake and maintain.
Not only do these players think the turf will be better for FHC, but they also would rather play on the turf fields.
“I prefer turf fields,” stated Wierenga. “In my experience, dirt infields always scrape my legs up, and they just hurt more when I slide. Sliding on turf is much smoother and less painful. It’s also more fun because I can slide farther.”
Having the turf fields also creates a playing environment where the ball won’t bounce as much, another name for this being bad hops, and creates a more predictable path to where the ball will go. These bad hops can really affect the game. One bad hop can cause multiple runs for the other team.
“I prefer turf,” Stinson said. “It is better to play on because it eliminates bad hops in the field, provides safer playing conditions, and not much work needs to be done to keep the field in good shape.”
Turf fields will be making their way into FHC before you know it and will replace the grass fields. Adding turf fields does create some challenges, but overall, it is an improvement for FHC. The fields will be able to host bigger events, which will not only be fun for the players but will also draw more attention to FHC baseball and softball programs and allow them to keep on growing.
“There will definitely be a lot of people looking to rent/utilize our fields once they’re complete,” said Goei. “We’ll also be able to host some bigger MHSAA tournament events, which will be a lot of fun!”
