The construction and remodeling of the Bakersfield College baseball and softball fields has been delayed 30 days.
The fields, to be named the Dean and Adah Gay Sports Complex, are anticipated by some to become one of the best facilities the state would have to offer.
There were a number of issues that resulted in the delay. According to BC Assistant Athletic Director and softball coach Sandi Taylor, “One was rising costs; the other was some errors in details of the plans.”
BC president Greg Chamberlain said that the cause for the delay is that “the backstops were too high and needed to be sent back, there were issues with the bleachers and there were some utilities that had been hit underground and that needed to be re-routed.”
The delay of the approximately $1.7 million dollar project, $250,000 of which was donated by the late Dean and Adah Gay, has had its effects on the baseball and softball teams.
“It is definitely limiting us in our preparation,” Taylor said. “And it could possibly force us to have to travel to play all of our games instead of being able to play at home, which would cost us a tremendous amount of money.”
BC baseball coach Tim Painton had “nothing positive to say on the matter.”
With the projected finishing day of Dec. 19 less than a month away and the ribbon- cutting first game of the baseball and softball season being on Jan. 27, the athletic department is hoping for the best and making do at the time.
“The work will not be done by the Dec. 19 deadline,” Chamberlain said. “And they will not be done in time for the opening game of the season.” According to BC