New Morelli Field To Open On May 19

baseball players should get the chance to play at least two games on the new this spring, Mayor Rob Dolan said, after the field's opening was delayed due to unsatisfactory soil and sod used during construction.

The field should open on May 19 for practice, Dolan said, and the first game should be played on Monday, May 21 versus Matignon. The Red Raiders baseball team closes out the regular season the following day at home against Belmont.

The city previously said that the field would not be available for play this season, after the project management team noticed that water was pooling in some areas of the field.

Soil and sod samples were sent to an independent laboratory and found they did not meet "did not meet the exact specifications of what we ordered and what we were told we received," according to a city press release issued on March 5.

The city ordered the contractor install new sod that meets the proper specifications.

The unusually dry weather had allowed that work to go more quickly than anticipated, Dolan said, meaning the city would like to get the baseball team on the field by the end of this season.

"Now we just have to let the ground settle for 30 days," he said.

Dolan added that the city will treat the field "with kids gloves," especially if it rains and impacts the field's condition, but they're still hoping to get two games in this season.

"We feel very confident and the contractor feels confident we can begin baseball there on May 19," he said.

The new Morelli Field is part of the that used revenues from to also build the new , a new softball complex at and a regulation track at Pine Banks.

The softball field is on track to open in May and the track should open this fall. .