Saddleback’s Hodges Can’t Wait to See Work Begin on Baseball Field

Although it’s spring break this week at Saddleback College, baseball Coach Jack Hodges said he doesn’t plan to sleep late today.

Hodges said Monday he would be at the school’s baseball field by 7 a.m. to see if construction really began on replacing the infield grass and dirt.

“I’ll be here to see that first shovelful of dirt,” Hodges said.

Late last year, rumors started that a minor league baseball team from the independent Western Baseball League was moving to Mission Viejo from Long Beach and planned to use the field.

When the move became official, construction was supposed to start on a new stadium and Saddleback’s baseball team was going to play most of its games at other sites.

Hodges, excited at the idea of having one of the best community college facilities in the state, didn’t mind having to make up three schedules, all contingent on when construction started.

But delays were announced every two weeks and Saddleback played all its scheduled home games on its field until this week.

The uncertainty hasn’t bothered the players too much. Saddleback is 20-4 overall and in second place in the Orange Empire Conference with an 8-4 record.

Monday, Athletic Turf Inc. was announced as the winning bidder for the job of taking out the infield dirt and grass and redoing it to better suit professional players.

A new visitors’ bullpen is also being added as part of the project.

If construction stays on schedule and it doesn’t rain, and the sod takes, Saddleback could be back on its field as soon as two weeks.

Saddleback was supposed to play El Paso (Texas) College at 11 a.m. today at home, but the game has been moved to Orange Coast College. El Paso, in its second year, is coached by former Saddleback assistant Chris Brown.

The Gauchos have four games in the Visalia tournament this week and plan to use alternate sites for conference games as long as it takes to get back on their field.

“We’ve waited so long for something to happen,” Hodges said. “It will be nice for something to finally happen.”