Rams’ home games move to Pacifica

By Willliam Courtney
Contributing Writer

City College baseball is traveling a bit further to practice and compete in their remaining 2010 home games because they have moved from Balboa Park to Fairmont Field in Pacifica.

Despite the added distance, the change in venue might actually work in the Rams’ favor, head coach John Vanocini said. He added that conditions at Balboa Park are now unplayable due to knee-high grass in the outfield and continuous drainage problems.

“Fairmont is a lot better,” sophomore catcher Tony Oropeza said. “Plus, it still gives us home-field advantage so the team didn’t mind switching.”

The Rams’ new home field boasts synthetic turf, batting cages, a full bullpen and far more accessibility than Balboa Park.

“Practicing at Fairmont Field is a benefit because it gives us a better feel for playing on turf,” sophomore infielder and pitcher Jared Freitas said. “This can benefit us since a good number of conference teams use the same type of surface.”

“Fairmont will be a big help in recruiting because it offers a full range of facilities for the players,” Vanocini said.

Lack of adequate facilities is one reason City College has lost baseball recruits to nearby schools that have all of their facilities right on campus.

Meanwhile, space restraints and budget cuts are preventing City College from building a field on campus.

“The perfect situation would be getting Balboa Park playable,” men’s athletic director Harold Brown said. “That starts with having a good relationship with Parks and Recreation.”

That may take a while due to lack of staff members at the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, Brown said. This has slowed down the process of maintaining a playable surface.

With 20 games left on the schedule, nine of them home games, the baseball program will be able to see whether Fairmont Field is a long-term solution or simply a short fix.