Berns hoping for December ribbon cutting ceremonies for new facility

Veteran baseball coach Bart Berns has shown an insurmountable amount of dedication into building a great baseball program at Linton-Stockton over the course of his 18 years. Berns is now in the process of taking his dedication to a new level, in the form of constructing an indoor workout facility.

The proposed facility would be 40 feet by 85 feet and will include three batting cages, two pitching mounds with catcher pads and a soft toss area.

Berns mentioned the facility will be exclusively available for baseball players at Linton-Stockton from little league and up.

"Baseball is a sport where it is hard to just pick up a baseball on the first day of practice and be successful," Berns said. "With this facility it will give the kids a place to work on their skills during the off season and help avoid risk of injury during the season. Pitchers can't expect to start throwing when practice starts and expect their arms to hold up."

Berns is raising money to fund the facility through the support of the local community. The coach also mentioned that everything for the construction and furnishing of the facility will be purchased locally with the exception of the concrete and artificial turf.

"I feel like since the funding is through the local community that it is important to also use the money for the construction locally as well," Berns further explained. "The labor of the construction will be by donated labor through parents of players and those associated with the team throughout the years."

A goal for ribbon cutting on the new facility has been set by December 1 by Berns.

"The community has been very giving to this project," Berns said. "I would like for construction to begin by October and have ribbon cutting for the first of December."

To help raise more money for the facility, there will be a "bash" at Humprey's Park on Saturday, September 6.

Events will include a horseshoe and cornhole tournament with cash prized awarded for each event. Entertainment for the day will include music from D.J. Todd Landis and also live entertainment by Greg Eaton.

Registration for the events will start at 9 a.m., with lunch provided and there will also be a hog roast in the afternoon.

"We are expecting a big crowd with all the different events and entertainment going on throughout the day," Berns said. "This will be a fun filled day with something to do for everyone. This is also a good way to promote the park and hopefully we can turn this into an annual event."

Berns mentioned that there will also be a silent auction on numerous items including autographed jerseys and some Colts memorabilia. There will also be a raffle for a John Deere lawn mower.

Berns mentioned that the facility will pay dividends now and also down the road.

"It will give our kids a place to train now, and will also be a big asset for the younger kids a couple years down the road as well."

The coach who is nearing 300 wins at Linton-Stockton including six Tri-River Conference titles, five Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference crowns and two sectional championships, said the new facility will help eliminate coaches fighting for gym time.

"Off season conditioning and work-outs will be a lot simpler now with the facility," Berns said. "It's tough to find gym time that is not late at night with everything else going on, and we will also not have to worry about losing practice time during the season due to inclement weather."

For more information on how to donate or information on the upcoming fund raiser at Humprey's Park, Berns can be reached at 812-384-6408.