Hendersonville High School baseball coaches Mike Hendrix and Andy Gilley recently showed off the school's newly installed turf infield at Drakes Creek Park.(Photo: Tena Lee/Hendersonville Star News)

They were coming before it was built.

Still, Hendersonville High School’s baseball coaches have dubbed their newly installed turf infield – the first one in the state for a high school team – their own “Field of Dreams.”

Located in Hendersonville’s Drakes Creek Park, baseball field No. 3 – a regulation baseball field – is shared between the school and the city, along with other parks facilities.

With 30 to 40 home high school games a year as well as around 150 middle school, recreational and tournament games, the field sees a lot of wear and tear, says HHS assistant baseball coach Andy Gilley.

That’s why he first proposed the idea of a turf infield to then-Parks Director Dave LeMarbre back in 2012. The two secured a grant from the Memorial Foundation for $65,000 but still three times that amount was needed.

Through the HHS Dugout Club, Gilley received a $47,000 grant in 2011 from Major League Baseball’s Baseball Tomorrow Fund for renovations to the field after the May 2010 flood. He decided to apply again to the program.

The Baseball Tomorrow Fund came through once again, matching the $65,000 from the Memorial Foundation. Gilley and LeMarbre, who has since retired,  approached city leaders for the rest of the funding.

“We were fortunate enough to be included in the current bond issue that the city has approved for $100,000 to complete funding for the project,” Gilley said.

Installation of the turf, a three-week process, was completed just before Christmas.

Head Coach Mike Hendrix admits the new field is a highlight of his 26 years at HHS.

“It’s good for the whole community and all the kids that will get to play here,” he said. “If the kids can’t enjoy playing here, they’re not going to enjoy playing anywhere.”

Interim Parks Director Brandon Rogers says the new field will benefit the city as well.

“We’ll be able to play in almost any weather,” said Rogers. “It will help us stay consistent with our scheduling.”

Rogers said the new field will also help draw more tournaments to the city. The biggest benefit, he added, will be the savings in maintenance costs.

Gilley agrees.

“Due to the large number of games each year, the field is shut down from July to September for yearly upkeep including sod replacement, edging, over seeding, and fertilizing at an average cost of $10,000,” he said.

In addition, a complete renovation of the natural grass infield is recommended every 10 to 15 years at a cost of $30,000. The artificial turf will reduce annual expenses by nearly 80 percent, Gilley noted, allowing money to be spent on other things for the field.

It will also give his team more practice time – making weather less of a factor. Last year, the team didn’t practice outside during the whole month of February due to the weather.

Every other baseball program in Sumner County has its own indoor facility dedicated solely to baseball, except White House, Gilley noted. Hendersonville has to share its indoor facility with other sports.

Another plus Gilley said helped get the Memorial Foundation on board is that the city’s league for youth with special needs will be able to use the field when possible.

The Raptors baseball program enrolled around 35 players last spring, according to Cindy Hamblen who organizes the program.

“For one thing the field won’t be as muddy,” she said. “Some of our players have physical ailments. Some don’t see well. With the contrast between the green and the dirt, they’ll be able to follow the bases better. This will be a little bit safer for them. I also think it will make them feel more important being in a brand new stadium.”

Gilley said the new field will put Hendersonville on par with cities like Atlanta, Ga., who hosts events for athletes with special needs.

“Hopefully this will be another step in our goal of making our program and our field a place that every kid in Hendersonville wants to play on,” Gilley said. “There are literally hundreds of kids who will benefit from the new field.”

Reach Tena Lee at tlee@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7116. Follow her on Twitter @tenalee1.

Hendersonville High senior baseball standout Grant Williams verbally committed to Middle Tennessee State University last weekend.(Photo: Craig Harris/Sumner County Publications)

Hendersonville High senior baseball standout Grant Williams verbally committed to continue his education and playing career at Middle Tennessee State University last Saturday.

"They tell me that I'll come in and may be a weekday (starting) pitcher my freshman or sophomore year," Williams said. "I really like the coaching staff. The coaching staff is really nice. They didn't pressure me in the process."

Williams also had an offer from Walters State Community College (which finished third in the National Junior College Athletic Association JUCO World Series), and he received heavy recruiting interest from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Virginia Military Institute.

"I didn't feel like anybody was going to beat Middle's offer," Williams said. "It's a good baseball school. It's a nice campus. They actually care about the student-athlete, to help them through school. Academics always come first. That's a big deal. They actually take it (seriously)."

MTSU had a 32-27 overall record in 2015 and a 19-11 mark in Conference USA play, placing fourth in the conference during the regular season after sitting atop the league standings for a portion of the season.

Former Hendersonville High standout Zac Curtis played at MTSU, leading the nation in strikeouts through the regular season of his senior season. Curtis – a First Team All-Conference USA selection and a semifinalist for the Gregg Olson Award (which is given to the top amateur baseball player who elevates his game to an elite level throughout the season) – was the 180^th pick of the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, selected in the sixth round by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Williams led the Commandos to the Class AAA State Tournament in May before helping Team Tennessee (comprised of the state's top underclassmen) finish as the runner-up in the Junior Sunbelt National Championship.

The TSWA All-State selection and 2015 Sumner County Player of the Year stood out as a pitcher this spring and also served as the Commandos' designated hitter, helping the 2015 team equal a program record with 33 victories.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-hander compiled a 9-1 pitching record and a 1.31 earned-run average, with opposing hitters batting just .165 against him. Williams struck out 69 hitters over 69 and 1/3 innings, allowing 41 hits and 20 base on balls.

At the plate, Williams – the District 9-AAA Co-Most Valuable Player – had with a .358 batting average, 10 doubles, three home runs, 29 runs scored, 32 RBI and a .478 on-base percentage.

However, Williams was recruited as a pitcher.

"They told me they are going to give me an opportunity to earn a spot as a position player in the fall (of his freshman season)," Williams said.

The 18-year-old participated in the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association (TBCA) Showcase at Middle Tennessee State University in June, one of 100 standouts selected. Williams was also among the top 25 of those players, earning him an opportunity to represent the state in Border Wars (in which the Tennessee players competed against players from Alabama and Georgia).

MTSU is under the direction of third-year head coach Jim McGuire, who is in his 23^rd season with the Blue Raider program after 20 years as an assistant coach and then as the associate head coach.

"Whenever I called him (McGuire) yesterday, I was pretty stoked when I got off the phone," Williams said.

Sports reporter Craig Harris can be contacted at 575-7138 and can be followed on Twitter at @HarrisGNESports.