ROCKINGHAM — A major project more than two years in the making is nearing completion on one of the two athletic fields that sit on the north end of Richmond Senior High School’s campus.
What started out as a conversation on how to fix drainage issues on Richmond’s baseball field has turned into a nearly $1 million complete overhaul of the Raiders’ complex.
Initially started by former principal Jim Butler and former athletic director Mike Way two and a half years ago, the project has spanned over into the current administration with principal Joyce McRae and athletic director James Johnson.
There through most of the process has been Eric Brown, Richmond’s head baseball coach who also serves as one of two assistant athletic directors.
A 2002 graduate of Richmond, Brown returned to teach and coach at his alma mater during the summer of 2023, around the same time Butler and Way began looking into making upgrades to the baseball facility.
Richmond County Schools superintendent Dr. Joe Ferrell visited Raider Field several times early in the process to discuss renovations and upgrades with Brown and the administrative team.
Fast forward to earlier this fall when the project was green lit to give Raider Field a considerable facelift ahead of the 2025 season.
Aside from a few drainage projects, and adding sod to the baselines more than 15 years ago, Brown said to his knowledge this is the first major reconditioning of Raider Field since it opened for its first season in the spring of 1973.
Cameron Whitley, RCS’ executive director of communications, verified the total cost of the project and the source of the money in an email to The Richmond Observer Monday afternoon.
“The total project cost is $976,728, which includes $50K in contingency funds, the balance of which will be returned to Richmond County Schools if they are not used,” Whitley wrote.
“Richmond County Government is providing $934,375 from the school district’s sales tax fund, which is reserved for use on capital improvement projects.”
When ground broke on Sept. 17, Eastern Turf Maintenance got to work stripping the field of its sod and top layers of infield. The Raleigh-based company has done all the work on the field the past two and a half months.
Crews dug up six inches of sod, old playing surface and ground material, and also removed the field’s old drainage and old irrigation systems.
One of the major talking points ahead of the project was reconfiguring of the field’s drainage, which wasn’t working properly and causing standing water issues in several areas. Brand new drainage to address those issues has been installed, as well as a brand new irrigation system.
“More important than the field looking great, Raider Field will be arguably the best playing surface in the state,” Brown said.
“The field will be able to withstand wet conditions which will allow us to be on the field more for practice and less likely to have rainouts. Those have been issues for some time now, so it’s great to have them resolved.”
Over the past two weeks, the once barren expanse of earth crisscrossed with irrigation lines has taken shape into what the finished product is expected to look like.
Raider Field has been re-graded to smooth out the playing surface, both in the infield and the outfield. The new foundation is made up of a 95% sand base and TifTuf Bermuda sod, a hybrid grass that is drought and shade-tolerant, as well as wear-resistant.
The infield has been filled with DuraEdge infield mix, which is 60% engineered clay and 40% sand. Other changes to the infield include the rebuilding of the pitcher’s mound to the standard 10-inch height, and dirt basepaths now connect home plate with first and third base.
Also gone is the gray gravel that once outlined the entire complex, now replaced with SAF Trac red shale as the new warning track.
Brown added that the wind screen along the outfield fence will be taken down and a final decision on what will replace it is still being made.
“Eastern Turf Maintenance is one of the best, if not the best, at what they do,” Brown said. “Thanks to them and this entire project, our school and our community will be able to enjoy this field for the next 50 years.
“Jim (Butler) originally spearheaded this project and it wouldn’t have happened without him. Dr. Ferrell, Mrs. McRae, Mike (Way) and James (Johnson) have all been huge supporters from day one.
“We are extremely grateful to Richmond County Schools, the Board of Education and everyone involved in making this happen for our players, program and community,” Brown closed.
At the time of publication, the expected completion date is Dec. 7. Brown said the field will be game-ready for the upcoming spring season and he expects the playing surface to continue to mold into place into the summer months.
