The Sartell Baseball Association and Pinecone Central Park Association on June 11 dedicated  new and improved baseball fields.

A double-header at St. Cloud Orthopedics Field (formerly Champion Field) highlighted the event that capped two years of a fundraising campaign. A ceremony between the games officially dedicating St. Cloud Orthopedics and Gilleland Chevrolet Field. 

The capital campaign of $1.3 million was made possible with more than half the money privately raised and the city of Sartell contributing the balance of the funds.

St. Cloud Orthopedics Field hosts more than 140 games each summer as well as daily practices for all of Sartell’s teams. In 2019, St. Cloud Orthopedics Field will host the Amateur Region C Playoff Tournament as well as the American Legion Sub-State 12 State playoff tournament.  The Pinecone Central Park complex will host more than 775 baseball games.

That means an estimated 70,000 baseball enthusiasts, families, players and fans are visiting Pinecone Central Park this summer, according to the baseball association.

The Pinecone Central Park Association also announced that Ryan Cross, president and CEO of BCI Construction, has signed on to be the sixth and final field sponsor.

BCI Construction’s contribution allows completion of the final field at Pinecone Central Park making it playable for the age 9-13 teams in 2020.