Roger Ward went before the Great Bend City Council on April 2 asking for a vehicle to drag the field at Al Burns Field this summer.
Ward is the manager of the Great Bend Bat Cats, the summer collegiate baseball team that will make use of Al Burns Field again this year for their home games in the Jayhawk Baseball League.
Last year, a local business donated a 4-wheeler to attach the drag to, but that ATV was not available this year. While the City of Great Bend provided Ward with no option to drag the field on the city-owned field, Straub International provided the Bat Cats with a unit to attach the drag to.
Roger Ward Audio
Dragging a baseball field helps redistribute the soil in the infield to prevent bad hops and leave an even surface.
The City Council changed the facility fee from $750 to $1 to assist Ward with finding a vehicle capable of pulling the drag.
The Bat Cats start the season May 30 in Ellinwood and will play their first game in Great Bend on June 5.