The Pike Liberal Arts School baseball field underwent a facelift in the off season.

As part of the renovation project for the school's baseball and softball complex, the baseball field has been altered quite a bit. The most notable difference is the addition of a grass infield replacing the traditional dirt infield.

"I don't miss it a bit," said PLAS head baseball coach Butch Austin. "We had too many broken noses and busted lips."

The foul grounds near the dugouts and backstop have been sodded, and the dugouts are being painted. A perimeter of gravel was also put down just inside the backstop and foul fence along the infield. The field will also have a new backstop with a "real backstop net," Austin said. The cinder block base has already been installed.

Parents of the players were on hand Saturday to take part in a parents' work day. Volunteers painted the dugouts and applied coating to the base of the new backstop.

Although the renovations are moving quickly, Austin said they are far from complete.

"We're going to put some crushed rock on the field, but we won't do that for a while yet," he said. "We're going to sod the outfield, too, with Bermuda."

Spectators will benefit from the project as well. They will no longer have to walk and park in the dirt surrounding the field, because the area will be paved in the near future.

A new concession stand will also be added between the baseball and softball fields, and

a press box will be added, too.

The softball field will also have some improvements made to it. The dugouts will be painted and enlarged, and the field will have some other improvements added to it.

"These improvements are for the students, for all our kids," Austin said.