FF Otter Softball Team Enjoys the New Homefield Advantage with Field 5 at Delagoon Park

Mayor Ben Schierer did the honor of cutting the ribbon Tuesday afternoon, as the Otters dedicated a new fast-pitch softball field at Delagoon Park Field 5. Fergus Falls Otters Activities Director Derek Abrahams, talked about the need for the renovated field;

“We knew there’s a need, playing on slow pitch fields for all these years. The spot was kind of picked out, and then like I said Matt Lemke really did a lot of leg work behind it. Got the boosters, got the number of volunteers, and different organizations and groups together. In a very short amount of time, really about a year, we have what’s in front of us right now. Which is just a really nice fast-pitch softball field that’s been 29 years in the making.”

Abrahams went on to explain the difference between a slow-pitch field and a fast-pitch field;

“Just a little bit in the size of the infield and then that’s permanent fencing, the dugouts having the full filled in dugouts, PA system, lights. All of those things that you don’t necessarily have on a slow pitch. On a slow pitch you have to 5 foot fences the smaller ones, and not the roof over the dugouts and things like this. This truly matches what we have in baseball now, and it is really a nice facility.”

Former Otter softball coaches Carolyn Schmidt and Renee Erickson threw out the honorary first pitch. The Otters swept St Cloud Apollo in the double header.

The Twins Community fund provided $10,000 grant to help with the renovation of field 5. Other donors included Quality Circuits, Security State Bank, Service Food, Fergus Power Pump, Otter Electric, Straightline Roofing and Siding, Builders FirstSource, Signworks, Otter Softball boosters, and many more.

The Twins Community Fund’s program provides financial support to improve baseball and/or softball facilities for youth in the Upper Midwest and Southwest Florida. The program provides matching grants to nonprofit organizations and local government units that operate baseball and/or softball programs.

The Twins Community Fund and its grant programs are supported in part by Target, US Bank, Treasure Island and Delta.

Since its inception in 1999, the program has granted more than $4.3 million to improve nearly 800 Upper Midwest and Southwest Florida ball fields.