Wellpinit celebrates refurbishment of ball field with softball gold medalist Jennie Finch
Sep. 12—WELLPINIT, Wash. — An uneven baseball field on the Spokane Indian Reservation has long been plagued with flooding and canceled games. A partnership between Major League Baseball and Scotts Miracle-Gro has solved the problem by literally leveling the playing field with laser grading and restoring the greenspace.
Former professional softball player Jennie Finch joined representatives from the lawn care company at a ribbon cutting and sports clinic Tuesday, where she offered advice and encouragement to Wellpinit's young athletes.
As a pitcher, Finch won the 2001 Women's College World Series for the Arizona Wildcats, and won a gold medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
"I learned to play on a filed like this when I was your age," Finch said.
The Wellpinit War Veterans Memorial Field at the Wellpinit Boys & Girls Club was built in 1977.
Tiger Peone, a Spokane Tribe councilman, remembered watching his grandparents play on the field. Now, he'll be able to watch his grandkids play on it.
"Small communities share everything," Peone said. Many groups will use the field, from T-ball to adult leagues.
Clark Pauls, athletic director at Wellpinit High School, said the high school will use the field for its baseball and softball games.
"It really needed a facelift," Pauls said.
Last year, the NFL donated a new turf football field to the school.
"We've never had a good field to play on," said Arawyn Dillon, captain of the Wellpinit softball team, who said she'll be glad to play on the refreshed field for her senior year.
The Scotts Field Refurbishment Program Grant provides up to $50,000 to renovate outdated baseball fields in underserved communities across the country.
Besides leveling the field, the program added sod to the outfield and provided new bases and equipment like bats, balls and gear.
"I think it's great to see today's youth engaging in field activities and investing their time and energy in a healthy way," said Chris Trueb, Scotts regional market manager. "Keeping kids outside these days is half the battle."
James Hanlon's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
