A rendering of the new Brother Rice baseball field. Construction is expected to take place this summer. Brother Rice photo
Brother Rice baseball field to get major upgrade
By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent
Brother Rice is getting an upgrade to its baseball field.
The project has been in the planning stages for years, but the Covid-19 pandemic and projects around the school have put it to the back burner.
But the school announced last week that the project will commence this summer.
The completely rebuilt field will have a turf surface and will northeast. The Crusaders’ existing field is grass and faces southeast.
“This will not only benefit our baseball players, but also the entire student body and neighborhood athletic teams,” Crusaders coach Sean McBride said on X, formerly Twitter. “Our hope is that the product on the field matches the incredible facility we will be playing on. It’s a great thing for Brother Rice and the baseball program.”
Junior baseball player Jackson Natanek posted on X that he is looking forward to the new digs.
“While deciding on a high school to attend for the next four years, one of the key factors was coach McBride and the great coaching staff, along with the anticipation on a new field and facilities coming in the near future,” he said. “I cannot explain how pumped up and excited our team is.”
The Crusaders have finished in the top four at the IHSA Class 4A state tournament the past two seasons. They are 2-4 entering this week, during which they will be on the road to play four games over four days against Trinity and St. Xavier, two programs from Louisville.
Rice will return home against Leo on April 8 and continue the torrid pace with games on successive days against Fenwick, Lincoln-Way East and Wheaton St. Francis.
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