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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor 

ALABASTER – Athletes are already enjoying the new renovations made to Jim “Peanut” Davenport Baseball Field after the start of baseball season in Alabaster.

The Thompson Middle School baseball team had a chance to break-in the new turf and improvements at the field during the first practice on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

“It was great, the turf played really well” TMS baseball coach Kevin Pitts said. “It was really good to actually get on it, play on it, practice on it and get the feel for it.”

Crews are continuing to work on completing the parking lot, locker room and concession facilities but the field is ready for play.

“We’re so excited to see this project nearing completion because it will totally transform a historic piece of our community,” Alabaster Mayor Scott Brakefield said. “Generations of Alabaster kids have grown up playing on Jim ‘Peanut’ Davenport Field, and we’re taking steps now to ensure it will serve many more generations moving forward.”

Pitts shared that the new turf field requires less maintenance which has limited the amount of work that has had to be done to keep it playable.

Returning ninth graders, junior varsity and varsity also utilized the field recently and loved their experience with the new improvements.

“It’s a lot different than it used to be,” Pitts said. “Everybody’s commented on how beautiful it (is), how great it is. It’s good to have that in Alabaster and for our schools to be able to use it.”

The city of Alabaster previously approved the nearly $9 million bid for renovations to Jim “Peanut” Davenport Field and Stadium during a special called city council meeting on June 1, 2023. The City Council approved the bid for the renovations to Clements Dean Building Company in the amount of $8,997,000.

“Once the entire project is complete, it will add new dugouts, entryways, bleachers and a new field house,” Brakefield said. “Moving forward, it will serve as the home for the TMS and Alabaster youth baseball teams, and we can’t wait for everyone to come check it out.”