From Dirt to Diamond – The Telescope

A view of the brand new scoreboard from center field. Shaye Cunningham/The Telescope

WRITTEN BY TELESCOPE STAFFER MICHAELA HUBBARD

After many years, Palomar College is finally receiving a new baseball facility.

The facility includes new self-draining turf, 300 seats of bleachers, seven batting cages, bullpens for each team and more.

“It’s a complete upgrade from where we were before,” said Buck Taylor, head baseball coach at Palomar College. The new facility costs upwards three million according athletic director Scout Cathcart.

The new facility has made things easier at the program as well. Although they are still “working out the kinks,” says Taylor, the isolation from the road and batting cages has made everything a lot easier.

The new baseball field's turf, pride filled backstop, and bleachers Shaye Cunningham/The Telescope — The new baseball field’s turf, pride filled backstop, and bleachers Shaye Cunningham/The Telescope

Current player Chase Grant, says that the new facility “gives us more tools to practice with.”

The old field will be made into a parking lot in the future. With the demolishing of the old facility, sacred memories will go as well.

“For two years I got to coach with Tony Gwynn and Alan Trammell at the old field,” says Jeff Walker, former player at Palomar College.

The program itself has cultivated strong connections between player and coach but also a connection with the field.

Walker says that the program “taught a lot of responsibility” and that “a lot of long term friends were met” as well.

Although it may not be entirely sentimental to all, the unspoken connection with the original field is carried on by players unto the new facility.

“There’s so much history there,” Taylor said. Grant added that there is some “superstition” to the old field due to a “good season last year.”

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