Northeast Mississippi Community College Fields of Dreams

BOONEVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Progress continues in Booneville with the construction of the Northeast Mississippi Community College Fields of Dreams.

For years the Northeast Tigers Baseball teams have been sharing a field at the city park with Booneville high school.

And the Lady Tigers have been playing at a nearby field also in the city park.

But last summer ground was broken for the field of dreams, the 8-point-2 million dollar complex for both baseball and softball.

Baseball coach Rich Harrelson says it will be easier for his players to practice.

“It’s the conflict that always comes with it. You know coach Williams, and I are good friends, and we do a great job of monitoring practice schedules. You know we start practice every day at 1:00 and we try and be off by 3:15 for those guys. It’s always been a problem with that. I don’t know if we’ve ever had our whole team out here for a practice during the spring just because of class schedules, so this new facility is fixen to do wonders for us,” said Harrelson.

Northeast Softball coach Jody Long says playing at a city park puts Northeast at a disadvantage.

“As far as the playing surface and relationship with the city of Booneville, it has been outstanding but with playing in a park and not having your own facility so to speak your counterparts throughout the country can use that’s downside as far as recruiting,” said Long.

And the new fields will be great for the community.

“For the fans, it just gives them pride, you know it’s something that’s ours. And the city of Booneville has always been great. They’ve always worked with us, but you know we’ve never had our own field. Like I said, we’ve always shared this, and there’s a lot of history behind us right, but to have own place is going to be so much fun,” said Harrelson.

“Both the fields are going to be 100-percent astroturf, and so it cuts down on maintenance, it cuts down on field prep. And we’re looking forward to having if not the best facility in the southeast or in the country,” said Long.

“They said if we’re going to do it let’s do it right and so we’re going to do it right,” said Harrelson.

Target date for opening-August 2nd.

The fields should be ready in time for both the baseball and softball fall schedules.