In December, another JC renovation began. In addition to the turf fields and air conditioning, dugouts are being built for the baseball team for the spring season.

Workers from the plumbing company “Plumb Crazy” began working on the dugouts on Nov. 27. The plumbing company was asked to dig out the footers and pour the concrete footers. Although only scheduled to take one day, digging the foundation took three days. Those days proved to be the coldest days of this fall season.

“The visitor side had hard rock and the ground was frozen. This set the workers back a little bit, but they’re still on track to finish by the start of the season,” varsity baseball head coach Steve Teter said.

The dugouts have no specific date as the goal of completion, but they are supposed to be done before the spring season so that they can be used for the first home game.

As of right now, the holes have been dug and framed on both the visitor and home sides of the field. Concrete has been poured to begin the foundation process. After the concrete sets, stone gets added. If the weather cooperates, the foundation shouldn’t take too long to finish, according to Teter.

The foundation for the dugouts is projected to take longer than actually putting up the walls for the dugouts. “The [walls] will go up pretty quickly, and it’ll start to look like a dugout,” Teter said.

Funding for the dugouts came from the annual baseball budget from the school along with fundraising by the team. On the outfield fence there are promotional signs to advertise businesses, which provided additional funding. These signs create the most revenue for the baseball program.

“Parents have been really supportive in our effort to get dugouts along with the administration, and especially [Athletic Director] Larry Dukes,” Teter said.

Dugouts will make the baseball team more professional according to Teter. “The dugouts provide protection from the elements, a separation barrier for coaches and players, and a separation barrier for coaches and parents, and an aura of professionalism,” Teter said.

A majority of the baseball teams in the MIAA “A” conference have dugouts. The only schools that do not have dugouts are Curley, Mount St. Joe, and Gilman. “Most of the teams in the MIAA have dugouts and its a way to bring us up to par,” junior pitcher Paul Wilson said.

The dugouts are one of JC’s new renovations and will only benefit the program according to Teter. “You dress for the job you want not the job your have,” Teter said. “Our goal is to have the nicest field in the MIAA, and I believe the dugouts are an added boost to that goal,” Teter said.

“I think it finalizes the field. Its another added benefit to the program and will also help recruiting. It will improve the overall aesthetics of the school. When people come through everyone sees the baseball field so it’ll be nice for everyone to see them,” Teter said.

Alex Rasmussen is a News Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.