FIELD GETTING FACE LIFT DONATIONS, FUND RAISING PAY FOR WORK.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

VALENCIA - Valencia High didn't exist when Jared Snyder played baseball for Saugus High in the late 1980s, so when he accepted the Vikings head coaching position three years ago he was surprised by the field's shoddy condition.

Three years and more than 25 tons of dirt later, the once-lumpy, even dangerous diamond is ready for it's greatest face lift - another 50 tons of dirt, 1,500 pounds of rye grass and a plan to install new bleachers and landscaping.

``When I got here there was no grass from the dugouts to the baselines,'' Snyder said. ``The pitching mound was six inches too short, there was no snack bar, no press box. It took awhile to fix this stuff.''

Snyder spent Saturday at the field with his coaching staff and some professional groundskeepers, tearing up and reseeding the vast stretch of grass with specialized, heavy equipment.

The system is designed to concentrate and tighten the roots while leveling the uneven patches.

Including this weekend's work, the improvements over the last three years have cost between $21,000 and $25,000 - much of which was raised by the players with carwash fund-raisers and candy sales.

``The kids are really starting to appreciate their field,'' said Snyder, who played professional baseball in the Chicago Cubs organization. ``These kids base a lot of their reflection on a program on the facilities.''

Mindy Braun, a Valencia baseball mom who's seen the field evolve over the last five years, credited Snyder with many of the improvements made since he joined the program.

``Before he got here none of the sprinklers worked. It was dirt and weeds and dried grass,'' Braun said. ``There was no green to it at all.''

Calling themselves the Diamond Club, a group of parents decided to reach out to the community to improve the stadium.

With commitments from The Newhall Land and Farming Co., Six Flags California, Andy Gump and other local corporations, Snyder said they've earned nearly half the cost - estimated between $12,000 and $14,000 - needed to pave the ground near the dugouts, press box, snack stand and bleachers area.

``It's not just for the kids. This is for the players' families and the opposing players,'' Snyder said. ``This community has been really supportive of what we do. And there have been other contributions that made this possible.''

Snyder said Curtis Sand and Gravel and Arman Grading have also stepped up with donations, both labor and materials.

And the players appreciate the community's support, Braun said. ``The boys and Snyder, they're the ones who take care of this field,'' she said. ``It's for them and they're grateful for it.''

For information about donations to improve the field, call Snyder at [phone] Ext. 614.

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Photo:

(color) Workers from the Valencia golf course lay new seed on the Valencia High baseball field in preparation for next season's play. The field and the stadium are undergoing an upgrade.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer