After years of scrubbing stains out of their uniforms, many SCHS softball and baseball players were relieved to see their fields renovated with new dirt earlier this month.

During previous seasons, playing at home would dye jerseys and make them exceptionally difficult to clean. Senior Connor Houle, who plays center field on the baseball team, could rarely practice without his uniform changing color.

“As an outfielder, anytime we’re doing infield practice, we would be the ones running for real game-like reps,” said Houle. “They always had us sliding and diving all over, so all of my gear is stained pinkish-orange.”

Softball shortstop sophomore Averie Lopez remembers the time-consuming process of washing her bright white uniform after practices and games.

“Before this (season), I would soak my jersey in soap water and leave it overnight, and then scrub out the dirt by hand (with) this type of soap bar that is supposed to get stains out,” Lopez said.

The process of cleaning was a common annoyance, especially after a late night spent practicing or at a game. Even after using bleach, power washers and strong stain removers like OxiClean, softball players like junior Chloe Boyes still have uniforms covered in red stains.

“I’d have to be careful going in the car and going home because the dirt would get on the seat and the carpet. It just made a mess,” Boyes said.

Though the cleaning process itself was time consuming, softball team captain senior Jordyn Guzman does not think the issues greatly impacted the team’s focus or gameplay.

“Playing the game isn’t about how good you look. It’s how you perform,” Guzman said. “I honestly feel like it’s not going to affect me that much.”

After years of requests from the coaches, the dirt was replaced this September. Unfortunately, baseball coach Pedro Martinez believes the teams have a bigger problem: because the diamonds are not properly watered, layers of dirt blow away in the wind, leaving the field sparse and messy.

“Wilcox is well maintained. They (their groundsmen) are always on it, cutting the grass. Their dirt is always pristine,” Martinez said. “I’d like to either have the same care, which would mean water pressure, or all turf.”

For baseball players, changing to a turf field could not only make maintenance easier, but also prevent frustration during gameplay.

“Softball fields are traditionally an all dirt infield… but for baseball, having the infield turf helps make contrast when you come off of the grass and onto the dirt,” Houle said. “Also, when fielding ground balls, there’s less errors that happen on turf because there’s no bad pops.”

Although turf has its own benefits, softball coach Julie Kawamoto is relieved the fields were improved and believes the new dirt will prepare softball players for the collegiate environment.

“When it’s properly taken care of, it’s wonderful. We’ve gotten a lot of compliments by other teams and coaches,” Kawamoto said. “It’s amazing that something like dirt can actually make you feel good.”

This story was originally published on The Roar on October 16, 2024.