The newly renovated Pioneer baseball field has yet to see much action since two of its four games have been rained out.

The total cost of the renovated field was $259,612, including $240,112 in construction and $19,500 in design fees according to Keat Saw who acted as project manager following the previous project manager’s retirement. The Athletics Department’s regular budget funded the entire project, Saw said.

The outfield grass had sunken over time and was not level with the infield and created over a foot of height difference. Work on the baseball field included draining, irrigation, and landscaping.

The renovations began in September 2013, according to Saw, and were finished well in time for the baseball season to start on Feb. 1, with the official completion listed as December according to the CSUEB Capital Improvements page.

“Substantial completion [was done] November 4, 2013,” said Saw. This was a month before the listed date of completion, at which point inspections and finalizing paperwork was finished.

“We re-grated the infield and leveled it, then put in a new drainage and irrigation system,” said Associated Vice President of Facilities Jim Zavagno.

The drainage system was necessary because water was pooling in the infield and to a lesser extent in the outfield. There is still drainage work to be done in the outfield because in very heavy rainfall, it still does not drain effectively said Zavagno, “If there was a goal at the next step for the Baseball field, [more drainage] would be it.”  If more drainage work is done, it will be separate from this set of renovations.

Landscaping occurred throughout the entire field, but specifically the border between the infield and outfield. Before the renovation, there was a step down a few feet going from the infield to the outfield grass.

“It was a safety hazard, going between surfaces like that,” said Zavagno. Zavagno and Head Coach Bob Ralston both said that the height difference was hazardous to the players. “It was dangerous,” said Ralston.

The new irrigation system will potentially not see much usage this year due to statewide declared drought conditions.

As the prospects for the team appear to be hopeful, the field where the team plays will now be safe for the team as long as it does not rain too hard.