MONROE - Fenway Park has the Green Monster. Wrigley Field has the ivy in the outfield. Monroe's baseball field has in-ground dugouts and a playing surface resembling a Major League ballpark.
Baseball fever will hit town as Monroe will host the WIAA Division 2 baseball sectional today.
"It gives a chance to showcase the facility," said Dale Losenegger, president of Monroe Baseball Inc. "It should make for a good baseball experience. It sounds like Mother Nature will cooperate except for being hot."
There will be three sectional games played at the high school field today. In the first sectional semifinal, Wisconsin Dells will play Richland Center at 10 a.m. Madison Edgewood at 1 p.m. will then play Clinton in the second sectional semifinal. The winners of those games will play in the sectional championship game at 4 p.m.
Monroe Baseball Inc. is a not-for-profit group that started 16 years ago to promote amateur baseball opportunities in Monroe. Monroe Baseball Inc. maintains the facility and functions as the managing entity of summer baseball leagues. Monroe Baseball Inc. works in cooperation with Monroe High School on the facility.
One of the distinctive features of the ballpark is the in-ground dugouts.
"There are very few high schools with in-ground dugouts," Losenegger said. "We do all the major maintenance on the field."
Losenegger said minimal maintenance of the field costs about $5,000 a year.
"In 16 years we have been self sustaining," Losenegger said. "We have never borrowed money from anyone else. I think the school gets accused of spending money on the baseball field. Very little of it is taxpayer money. The majority of it over the last 16 years has been put in by Monroe Baseball Inc."
MBI has resodded the infield, put in a new playing surface a couple of times, built a new concession stand, raised the bleachers and moved the left field fence. Losenegger said MBI put in a new irrigation system three years ago that was a little more than $20,000.
"We moved the left field fence back to make it a more challenging baseball field," he said.
The most recent projects MBI completed were a press box and batting cage in 2009. The high school baseball field is used by eighth grade baseball teams, the Monroe varsity team, Junior and Senior Legion baseball teams as well as the Monroe Brewers in the Western Section of the Home Talent Baseball League.
Every two to three years, MBI looks to complete a larger improvement project.
"We really couldn't get by without the generosity of the community and businesses," Losenegger said. "There are so many who have stepped up with donations and who have volunteered. There has been a lot of work put into the field over the years so it's capable of hosting a sectional."
Losenegger said MBI's long-term goal is to have lights at the ballpark.
"We have never been able to come up with the money for them," he said. "It will cost close to $100,000. We have tried to make it the best baseball field we can without night baseball."
Baseball fever will hit town as Monroe will host the WIAA Division 2 baseball sectional today.
"It gives a chance to showcase the facility," said Dale Losenegger, president of Monroe Baseball Inc. "It should make for a good baseball experience. It sounds like Mother Nature will cooperate except for being hot."
There will be three sectional games played at the high school field today. In the first sectional semifinal, Wisconsin Dells will play Richland Center at 10 a.m. Madison Edgewood at 1 p.m. will then play Clinton in the second sectional semifinal. The winners of those games will play in the sectional championship game at 4 p.m.
Monroe Baseball Inc. is a not-for-profit group that started 16 years ago to promote amateur baseball opportunities in Monroe. Monroe Baseball Inc. maintains the facility and functions as the managing entity of summer baseball leagues. Monroe Baseball Inc. works in cooperation with Monroe High School on the facility.
One of the distinctive features of the ballpark is the in-ground dugouts.
"There are very few high schools with in-ground dugouts," Losenegger said. "We do all the major maintenance on the field."
Losenegger said minimal maintenance of the field costs about $5,000 a year.
"In 16 years we have been self sustaining," Losenegger said. "We have never borrowed money from anyone else. I think the school gets accused of spending money on the baseball field. Very little of it is taxpayer money. The majority of it over the last 16 years has been put in by Monroe Baseball Inc."
MBI has resodded the infield, put in a new playing surface a couple of times, built a new concession stand, raised the bleachers and moved the left field fence. Losenegger said MBI put in a new irrigation system three years ago that was a little more than $20,000.
"We moved the left field fence back to make it a more challenging baseball field," he said.
The most recent projects MBI completed were a press box and batting cage in 2009. The high school baseball field is used by eighth grade baseball teams, the Monroe varsity team, Junior and Senior Legion baseball teams as well as the Monroe Brewers in the Western Section of the Home Talent Baseball League.
Every two to three years, MBI looks to complete a larger improvement project.
"We really couldn't get by without the generosity of the community and businesses," Losenegger said. "There are so many who have stepped up with donations and who have volunteered. There has been a lot of work put into the field over the years so it's capable of hosting a sectional."
Losenegger said MBI's long-term goal is to have lights at the ballpark.
"We have never been able to come up with the money for them," he said. "It will cost close to $100,000. We have tried to make it the best baseball field we can without night baseball."
