Buford began its baseball season on a newly renovated turf field Saturday. The city funded the state-of-the-art surface as well as the new public address system and LED lighting.

The baseball field renovation was the first completed portion of a project to upgrade all the city's baseball and softball fields.

The FieldTurf DoublePlay surface is made up of two types of turf to mimic the speed of the baseball on a typical grass playing field. The pitching mound is constructed using DuraPitch Mound Clay which is commonly used in Major League Baseball. The new LED lighting system is a specialized design made specifically for sports fields. 

“The new turf field allows our players to continue working when other teams with grass field cannot,” head coach Stuart Chester said. “I’m excited about our season. We are bringing back strong senior leadership and have amazing young talent.”

The opening ceremony celebrated the rich history of Buford baseball played at Gerald McQuaig Field, named after the former baseball coach. There were two ceremonial first pitches before the varsity game. Derek Perkins, Class of 1993, threw the game ball from the very first win at Gerald McQuaig Field, in which Perkins was the pitcher. Following that ceremonial pitch, McQuaig’s son, Donnie McQuaid, threw the next pitch with a new ball to commemorate this day. 

“This field is simply amazing,” Buford High School Interim Principal Scott Chaffin said. “This is just the latest example of how the City of Buford continues to support our schools by ensuring the best resources are provided for our students.”