The overview
RHS baseball and softball teams cut ribbons to commemorate the completion of their new fields. The ceremony featured performances by the RHS Band drumline as well as cheer and dance teams, followed by remarks from Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Trimble and Joshua Mann, RHS athletic coordinator and head football coach.
RHS is the first of five LISD high schools that are slated to receive new artificial turf baseball and softball fields over the next year. Voters approved $27.6 million for the artificial turf installation through a 2023 bond election.
District officials and RHS coaches said the new fields have provided a better playing experience for students and reduced the maintenance work needed to upkeep the previous grass and dirt fields.
“It’s exciting,” said Chad Krempin, head coach of the RHS baseball team. “It’s exciting for the boys and just makes everything so much simpler.”
The impact
Artificial turf allows for a more consistent, reliable and safe playing experience compared to grass and dirt fields, Trimble said.
The baseball and softball teams are expected to gain more playing time by not needing to reschedule as many games due to poor weather conditions, which previously caused the fields to become muddy, he said.
The RHS softball team used to practice on the school’s turf football field sometimes to prepare for away games against other teams, assistant coach Sadie Hewitt said. Now, the team will have a home-field advantage and is expected to regain time once dedicated to maintenance work, head coach Brenda Samuels said.
The softball team previously spent hours working on the field before and after practices and games, managing the consistency of the dirt and length of the grass, Samuels said.
“Getting that time back is huge,” she said.
At a board meeting in October 2023, former Chief Operations Officer Jimmy Disler said LISD would save 21 million gallons of water a year across the five high schools by installing artificial turf fields.
“It's a big deal,” Trimble said about the new fields. “Because with the drought and water restrictions that we've seen over the last several years, it takes a toll on our fields, and it's hard to keep them up to a safe standard of playability.”
LISD is working to install new artificial turf baseball and softball fields at its four remaining high schools, Trimble said, including:
- Leander High School: to be completed in late November to early December
- Vista Ridge and Cedar Park high schools: to be completed in February
- Vandegrift High School: to be completed this summer
