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New Hope Trojan Field
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About Trojan Field:
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In the past couple of seasons, several new additions have been
added or improved at Trojans Field. First is a new backstop. This
backstop is 35 feet high and it will be made of net. This will help
protect fans that are sitting toward the top of the raised bleachers.
We have also added a new "Big Boy" batting cage that is 18' wide
and 16' tall. A BIG addition this season is the junior high practice
field that is located next to the high school field. This new field will
be big enough to take batting practice and play games if needed. We
also have a new two-story 1400 square foot press box that houses
our concession stand, radio booth, coach's lounge, umpire dressing
room, and two new bathrooms. A 1000 Watt sound system has
been added. We have also added a concrete grandstand that has 70
reserved seats. In total, we have over 100 reserved seats for the
fans at New Hope.
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New Hope's Trojan Field is known around Mississippi as one of the
nicest high school baseball fields in the state. Visiting teams enjoy
playing on the well manicured grass of Trojan Field. The playing
surface is Tifton Bermuda grass and during the winter months this
bermuda grass is overseeded with hybrid ryegrass. This hybrid
ryegrass gives Trojan Field its beautiful green grass in the springtime.
The 12 foot warning track around the entire playing field is a crushed
stone material from Crimson Stone in Alabama. The infield was
treated with a finer grade of the material that is on the warning track.
This material on the infield should help the infield dry quicker after
rains so the Trojans will be able to play or practice sooner.
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In the past several years, the warning track has been added as well
as several other projects. Large dugouts, a wooden fence, new sod,
a new scoreboard, a sprinkler system, and a 2 1/2 foot brick wall
from dugout to dugout have all been added in the last six years. The
newest additions are the raised bleachers on both the home and
visitors side and also a new storage building to house the new John
Deer tractor and Gator. Trojan Field is the home of the Varsity
Trojans, J.V. Trojans, and the Junior High Trojans. In the summer,
the field is used by the American legion teams as well as a host for
several American Legion Tournaments. Trojan Field has hosted
college games between Delta State and Birmingham Southern as well
as Mississippi College and Freed Hardeman. Junior college games
have been played on Trojan Field as East Mississippi Community
College plays here every couple of years.
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Trojan Field is symmetrical in its dimensions, measuring 310 feet
down both foul lines, 345 feet in the alleys, and 380 feet in center
field. The backstop is 60 feet from homeplate allowing plenty of
room in foul territory. Each team has a separate game bullpen with
the home side having an additional three mound practice bullpen.
Two outdoor hitting cages and seven hitting stations are along the left
field fence.
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Another facility that is important to Trojan Field sits just beyond the
left field fence. This building has recently been expanded to twice its
normal size which totals around 10,000 square feet. We now have
three full length cages and a 70' net for hitting stations that can be
pushed back to open up the main area for six pitchers mounds in the
event of bad weather. We also have purchased two Iron Mike
pitching machines so our athletes can have an arm ready any time
they want to take some swings. This building also houses two new
locker rooms for that can comfortably dress over 70 players. The
coaches office and dressing room has also been redone. It now has
new lockers and it comes with new tile and carpet.
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In 1996, New Hope's Trojan Field was recognized by the National
High School Baseball Coaches Association as field of the Year for
District VI. This district of the BCA includes Texas, Oklahoma,
Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. This award was presented at
the BCA Convention in St. Louis.
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