Grounds crew volunteers battle the elements to make a perfect field

ELIZABETHTOWN — Rain postponed some Sunday games for the Dixie Youth Baseball tournaments, and was back again on Monday causing more delays.

But by late evening’s end, the games pushed from Sunday to Monday had been played despite another two-hour delay and a full slate in the Majors Division 1 and Division 2 state championships is on tap for today.

Teams on the field won, but the big winner behind them were the guys fixing the fields.

For Alan West’s crew led by Kyle Bostic, his son Jackson, Kendrick Eason and Bobby Davis — “a magician on a lawn mower,” the Bostics say — plus Darius Gillepsie and about two dozen other men, it’s a volunteer labor of love.

“We just want a top-notch facility for all of our kids that have come,” Kyle Bostic said. “We want to put on a first class show and we do the best we can with what we have.”

Even when rain returned Monday to potentially put the tournament two days behind schedule.

“Twenty-five people pulled off a minor miracle,” Kyle Bostic said. “That field was sopping wet.”

Sunny or fixing a field after rain, they get right to work between games to make a field look polished and “new” for the next two teams.

It includes raking the dirt and clay portions of the field to get rid of any clumpy areas. This helps the next two teams with their hops, Kyle Bostic said.

The grounds crew made sure the fields were ready after Sunday’s storm. Kyle stated that they used speedy dry to absorb the moisture from the rain.

Kyle stated that for just one field in two weeks, the volunteers put in close to 300 man-hours. They cut the fields, edged them, and sprayed chemicals to make them look perfect for all involved — players, coaches and those watching, the parents and supporters.

“It’s a labor of love,” Kyle Bostic said. “We want it to look good for those who come.”

He explained that the fields have to be just right for a perfect game, meaning that the ground can’t be too hard or too soft. If it’s too soft, the balls won’t roll smoothly. If it’s too hard then it can cause bad hops where the balls will hop inconsistently for the players.

Rain remained possible for today, but the forecast brightens later in the week. Regardless, the men and their tools will be ready.

DIXIE YOUTH

BASEBALL

MAJORS

DIVISION 1

MONDAY

Winners bracket

Fairmont 10, Leland 0

Elizabethtown 10, Sampson County 4

Whiteville National 3, West Robeson 2

Elimination games

Columbus County 16, Whiteville American 5

TUESDAY

Winners bracket

Elizabethtown vs. Whiteville National, 8 p.m.

Elimination games

South Park vs. Columbus County, 2 p.m.

Bladen County vs. West Robeson, 4 p.m.

Sampson County vs. Leland, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Winners bracket

Elizabethtown-Whiteville National winner vs. Fairmont, 7:30 p.m.

Elimination games

Columbus County-South Park winner vs. Bladen County-West Robeson winner, 3:30 p.m.

Sampson County-Leland winner vs. Elizabethtown-Whiteville National loser, 5:30 p.m.

DIVISION 2

MONDAY

Winners bracket

Riegelwood 15, Lockwood Folly 0

Elimination game

Burgaw 13, Stanley 3

TUESDAY

Winners bracket

South Columbus vs. Riegelwood, 7:30 p.m.

Elimination games

Lockwood Folly vs. Burgaw, 3:30 p.m.

Southwest Onslow vs. Shallotte, 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Winners bracket

South Columbus-Riegelwood winner vs. Lockwood Folly-Burgaw winner, 7:30 p.m.

Elimination game

South Columbus-Riegelwood loser vs. Southwest Onslow-Shallotte winner, 5:30 p.m.