Danisha Bethune
Reporter
The six 80-foot baseball lights have been up and working since Oct.1. The total cost for the project was at least $175,000. Since the baseball lights were installed, the Anglin Baseball Field has been under reconstruction.
President Donald Jeanes, Mark Fox, vice president of student development, Danny Clark, head baseball coach, and Leonard Beatty, maintenance, oversaw the project.
Beatty became the supervisor of the project after the summer delay. He helped with the organizing and installing of the baseball lights and cleaned up and put the baseball field back together.
Beatty stated that the original plan was to have the contractors, not maintenance, work on the baseball field, but plans fell through and he was asked to supervise the project.
Several contractors were hired to do specific tasks for each repair need for the Anglin Field. Between the outfield bench line and old Buffalo Creek, the work-study and grounds workers put grass seeds and straw on the field to make the grass grow.
Beatty said that the entire reconstruction project should be done by Oct. 17.
“This project was a major undertaking due to initial contract problems and lots of rain this summer, the project got behind schedule,” Beatty said. “It ended up costing more to complete than anticipated.”
The delay caused the baseball team to postpone its fall practices until Nov. 1. They have played their fall scrimmages at the Elizabethton Twins’ field.
Senior pitcher Todd Speas said that the baseball lights will allow more night games and practices for the players so they won’t miss as many classes.
According to coach Clark, 14 of the 19 home games scheduled for the team’s season will be played at night.
Coach Clark also said that the night games allow more of the community to see Milligan baseball games. To help finance the new facilities, anyone outside of Milligan College will be charged admission to the baseball games.