March 29, 2012 Final Touches Get Esmark Field Ready for Play

Your Sewickley (http://www.yoursewickley.com)
By Bobby Cherry Staff Writer

March 29, 2012

It is officially is baseball season at Quaker Valley.

Thanks to additional support from Sewickley-based Esmark Inc., Quaker Valley High School’s baseball team opened its new season at Esmark Field at Bouchard Family Park in Bell Acres last Friday.

Esmark Field at Bouchard Family Park, Photo by Kristina Serafini

Quaker Valley Recreation Association members are in the midst of completing a $5 million project that is expected to include eight baseball and softball fields and five multipurpose fields.

An initial $1 million donation in 2008 from Esmark CEO Jim Bouchard provided the naming rights to the athletic fields. Bouchard said Esmark donated another $250,000 to “start over” on the Esmark Field project.

Included in work to finish the field for opening day were a professional grade drainage and sprinkler systems, Bouchard said.

Bouchard said the field’s sod is of the same level of that at PNC Park and Heinz Field.

Sewickley developer John Burger worked to finalize the field, Bouchard said.

“John did this for the children and community of Sewickley,” Bouchard said, noting that Burger volunteered his time to the project.

“This is one of the reasons I love this community — because there is a tremendous amount of talent, expertise, generosity, (and) a friendly community that wants to make this place better for our children and future generations,” Bouchard said.

In January, Quaker Valley administrators said they feared the field would not be ready by the start of baseball season.