From the City of Piedmont
Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen joined Eagle Scout candidate Sammy Ragones and the Piedmont Baseball Softball Foundation to celebrate the recently completed new batting cages at Coaches Field on Aug. 29.
Ragones approached Recreation Director Chelle Putzer in 2023 about rebuilding the old, undersized batting cages as his Eagle Scout project. With support and offer to fundraise from PBSF, they brought the project forward to the Recreation Commission, Budget Advisory Committee, and ultimately the City Council, who allocated $50,000 in the 2024-25 City budget to replace and expand the cages.
Ragones organized Scouts from Troop 15 to dismantle the old cages and then install turf and netting in the new ones once complete. Public Works managed construction of the new cages, which include grading work to support the expanded footprint and bringing in electrical power for pitching machines. With two lanes, the new cages now double capacity for practice.
Ragones reminisced about his 10 years playing baseball with PBSF, starting in kindergarten, sharing that one of his best memories took place right there on Coaches Field when his team won the Bronco championship.
Mayor Andersen called the new cages “an example of the best of a public-private partnership,” thanking Ragones, the PBSF Board, Public Works Director Daniel Gonzales, Public Works Supervisor Nick Millosovich, Recreation Director Chelle Putzer, and the many donors from the Piedmont community who contributed a total of $20,000 to augment City funding on the project.
“Because of this support, Coaches Field now has the nicest batting cages for miles in any direction, open to all members of our extended community,” she said.
Ragones led attendees in a countdown, and Mayor Andersen snapped the ribbon as everyone shouted “Play ball!”