Newly renovated Little League fields in Laingsburg vandalized

Sheldon Krause, Lansing State Journal
·2 min read

LAINGSBURG − A set of baseball fields in Laingsburg were vandalized over the weekend, leaving the recently renovated fields used by Little Leaguers unusable.

Two of the four fields at Bates Scout Park were driven over by a vehicle during the holiday weekend, uprooting grass and dirt mainly in the outfields. The fields serve the under-14 and under-10 teams.

Ray Cole, a director of the Laingsburg Youth Baseball Team, said the fields sustained “pretty significant” damage and will require a lot of work to repair.

Cole said the fields had undergone significant renovations in the past year. The league had a field day to renovate the under-14 field in before the 2022 season, requiring various types of seeding equipment and participation from families in the league. The improvements were the culmination of months of work and were “pretty costly,” Cole said. The fields were also reseeded in the fall.

A vehicle damaged two of four Little League fields owned by the city of Laingsburg on New Year's Eve, according to local officials.
A vehicle damaged two of four Little League fields owned by the city of Laingsburg on New Year's Eve, according to local officials.

The fields are owned by the city of Laingsburg but the league helps maintain them, along with support from the local Lions Club.

In the aftermath of the vandalism, Cole said the league has received an outpouring of community support. Individuals and businesses have reached out offering to help, including free landscaping services, direct donations and assistance with possible fundraisers.

Cole said the league’s board hasn’t met yet following the incident but that he anticipates taking up some of the offers they’ve received.

“It’s a really tight-knit community,” he said.

Cole said that he hopes this damage won’t delay the season. The league, which had around 125 players last season, generally starts registering players in March, with practices starting in late April and games starting mid-May.

The under-14 field at Bates Scout Park in Laingsburg on Dec. 31, 2022, after a vehicle damaged the recently renovated facility.
The under-14 field at Bates Scout Park in Laingsburg on Dec. 31, 2022, after a vehicle damaged the recently renovated facility.

Laingsburg Police Chief Dan DeKorte said that the department has opened a report on the incident.

“We're still looking for information on the suspects. We don't know who did it yet and I don't know if we will,” DeKorte said.

Despite the lack of leads, Cole said that he would appreciate the vandals to come forward.

“I'm hoping that we catch the person or persons that did it so they can cover the costs,” he said. “I don't want them to be prosecuted or anything like that, but for them to cover the damages would be nice.”

Contact Sheldon Krause at skrause@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @sheldonjkrause.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Newly renovated Little League fields in Laingsburg vandalized