New Baseball Park in Hattiesburg
by Daniel Townsend
Hattiesburg sports fans have plenty to be excited about this year, as they’ve enjoyed the new “Larry Doleac Youth Baseball Complex” at Tatum Park, which opened in April. The response from the community has been “overwhelming,” according to league directors.“We went from 550 kids to almost 700 kids,” said John Shows, Fall Ball Director and Equipment Manager at the park. “We’ve added teams in every age group.”
The new facility is the result of hard work on the part of Hattiesburg Dixie Youth Baseball league director Larry Doleac. For the last few years, Doleac championed that cause in front of the city council and board of supervisors, “selling them” on the idea.
In the fall of 2006, the City of Hattiesburg allocated the needed nine acres and donations began coming in from hundreds of businesses and individuals, including one from Major League Baseball. Doleac, an electrical contractor by trade, oversaw the facility’s construction. “It’s one of the most gratifying things I’ve ever done,” Doleac said.
The park is used almost year-round, as baseball tryouts begin the first week of March and “FallBall” closes during the first week of November. Fall ball, an “instructional league” which gives playing time to kids who would otherwise seldom get it, kicks off the day after Labor Day. Hattiesburg’s summer rivals—Oak Grove, Petal, and Purvis—come together for “Fall Ball” and play as one group.
League directors say crowds have increased, as the concession stand has a constant line during game nights. For the adults, it’s as much a social gathering as it is a chance to watch sports.
“People just can’t believe it,” Doleac said. “Nothing like that’s ever been done in Hattiesburg. It was a pretty aggressive move.” Brickman Sports recently did a review of the facility, giving it all 5s across the board. The next challenge, Doleac said, is to maintain the park in its current state.
For Shows, the highlight of this first season was the “pride and the look on all the kids’ faces on opening day.” Perhaps no one is as proud as Doleac, who told the Hattiesburg American: “We have built the best facility in the United States.” SS
daniel@thesportingspirit.com
To comment on this article, click here.