Pictured is a rendering of the planned visiting team dugout building. It will include three 20-foot-by-14-foot luxury suites. Each suite will include two rows of stadium seats, high-top tables, a refrigerator, a sink and cabinetry.

CELINA, Ohio, Feb. 7, 2023 — Montgomery Field, home of the Grand Lake Mariners, Celina High Bulldogs, Celina ACME and Wright State University-Lake Campus baseball teams, will soon undergo a major facilities upgrade. The Montgomery Field Legacy Construction Project will be undertaken in three phases.

At a press conference on Monday, Grand Lake Mariners officials who form the construction project committee shared details about the coming facilities upgrade. Phase One plans call for a renovation of the existing first base dugout building. Additions will include a merchandise booth, a coaches’ office and a locker room with 30 open lockers. The existing dugout will receive a new helmet and bat rack, as well as modified benches for additional equipment storage. Work on Phase One is expected to begin in the next month or two and should be finished by this spring.

The second phase will begin with the razing of the existing third base dugout. A new building the size of the first base dugout building will be erected. Both buildings will have heating and air conditioning units.

The new Phase Two structure will serve as the visiting team dugout, and its first floor will include a storage room, dugout restroom, and umpire restroom and changing room. The second floor will include three luxury suites with stadium seats, high-top tables and cabinetry. Work on Phase Two is tentatively scheduled to begin this fall.

Plans for Phase Three include a replacement scoreboard, a batter’s eye and a digital message board at the park entrance to promote games and events. A start date is not yet set for the third phase.

John Dorner, Grand Lake Mariners General Manager and Montgomery Field Legacy Construction Project Manager

“We believe these updates will draw visitors to our area, visitors that will patronize local restaurants, hotels and retail stores. We also expect to be awarded more tournament hosting opportunities. In fact, in light of these plans, the ACME Baseball Congress has awarded us the Junior ACME State Tournament for June 29 and 30, 2023.”

This is not the first time Montgomery Field has been upgraded since its dedication in 2007. After an F1 tornado damaged the existing dugout building in 2017, renovations were completed by necessity.

Bill Montgomery, Grand Lake Mariners President

“It’s time to do more. This town is a baseball town, and this county is a baseball county. We want to create a showpiece here, one that will continue to attract baseball tournaments and camps for years to come.”

Funding has been secured for Phase One, but donations for the first base dugout building improvements are still being accepted. Officials are also seeking donations for Phases Two and Three, with sponsorship forms available at the Montgomery Field concession stand during home games, the Celina High School Athletic Department, CJ’s HighMarks, Celina Insurance Group and grandlakemariners.com.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available for the proposed suites. Each suite will be named after its sponsor and will be available to sponsors for several games of their choice. When available, they will be rented out to spectator groups. The Mercer County Civic Foundation will be administering the Montgomery Field Legacy Construction Project fund.

RCS Construction, ITR Manufacturing and Premier Flooring Installations are the project’s construction partners. Officials expressed their gratitude to the companies, as well as the City of Celina, Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel, Celina City School officials, Wright State University-Lake Campus representatives and the Mercer County Civic Foundation for their support.

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