PORT ANGELES — “Build it, and they will come” is the famous tagline from the baseball film “Field of Dreams.”
For the Peninsula Baseball and Softball Barn, an indoor 3,200-square-foot facility off Deer Park Road where Clallam County youth can soon improve their pitching, hitting and defensive skills, it’s more like, “Fund it, and they will continue to grow.”
A group of baseball and softball backers from the club and youth level, including Wilder Baseball, Olympic Junior Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken and more have been working behind the scenes to raise funds for the project, which would allow all-weather training opportunities for the bat-and-ball sports all year long.
“Clallam County youth are the priority,” Wilder Senior baseball coach Zac Moore said. “Every big city outside of Port Angeles has one of these facilities. We send so many kids to colleges [to play baseball and softball] already, and this would help add to those numbers.”
Moore is part of the group that so far has raised enough money to purchase artificial turf for the facility.
“We put our own funds together to buy the turf, and we now have about $45,000 to raise,” Moore said.
Moore is tracking down the other equipment needed for the project, including hitting nets, balls and required safety equipment like an automated external defibrillator.
A membership fee of just more than $40 a month is envisioned for youth ages 9-18, with sponsors sought to provide financial scholarships for those in need.
“It will be comparable to what a gym membership would cost, and we are hoping to take memberships at the end of December,” Moore said.
The barn will be open to all skill levels with the goal of providing a safe training facility for all, teaching the fundamentals and player improvement.
“We plan on bringing in people from the Port Angeles past, like [Texas Rangers prospect] Cole Uvila, to lead camps and provide an extra level of coaching and folks from out of the area to run training sessions and show them the right and wrong way to play the game,” Moore said.
Business and personal sponsorships are available, with some perks available to sponsors. Baseball and softball equipment donors also are sought.
For more information, email Moore at wilder.zmoore@gmail.com or call/text 360-461-2342.
Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-406-0674 or mcarman@peninsuladaily news.com.
