BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WBOY) – Harrison County baseball players will be able to play on newly renovated fields next year at the Bridge Sports Complex.

Starting on Sept. 5, the portion of the 0.85-mile walking path that runs alongside the fields will be closed off during the renovations, making one lap measure 0.67 miles instead, according to a press release from the Bridge Sports Complex.

The walking path (9) portion that goes by the baseball fields highlighted in red will be closed off to the public.

The 11-year-old complex will be starting renovations that include turf fields and new batting cages on Sept. 5 and will be ready by November 2023 at the earliest and February 2024 at the latest.

General Manager, Droo Callahan said, “We’re really excited about it. It’s almost the unveiling of a new complex. This complex is 11 years old and so it shows a little wear and tear, and we’re excited to get it going again.”

The baseball fields serve as the home to an average of 1,000 local children and 50 to 70 visiting teams each weekend from April through July, according to the general manager.

Callahan said although “pure baseball truists like the dirt,” it is harder to maintain and causes more game cancellations. “It’s hard on our staff so we’re excited to make this improvement from a staffing standpoint, and we can focus more on customer service and less on just maintaining fields.”

Callahan said teams have made arrangements with other fields for the remaining games of the season.