The Stephen F. Austin State University softball team is slated to begin practice in a week, but there’s work to be done before then thanks to some joyriding vandals.
TV station KTRE reports that someone drove a truck onto the outfield of the facility, doing donuts and causing “extensive damage” to the natural grass surface and throwing athletics administrators and the softball coaching staff into recovery mode.
The damage was discovered as staff returned from winter break.
Unacceptable East Texas. We are better then this. 100s oh hours of hard work down the drain. Please help @SFA_Softball find who did this. pic.twitter.com/XddNK7plTQ
— Caleb Beames (@CalebKTRE) January 6, 2020
The school is set to host a softball camp this weekend, but instead of being held on the softball field, athletic director Ryan Ivey relocated some camp activities to the football field. Meanwhile, officials are determining what action will be required to repair the damage.
The Ladyjacks aren’t due back on campus until their winter break ends next week, and aren’t scheduled to host a home game until Feb. 19. However, as baseball coach Johnny Cardenas tweeted in the wake of the vandalism, it takes hours of effort to create a great playing surface.
It takes weeks/months to get our baseball and softball looking fit for our kids. It takes an idiot 10min to trash that work. If anyone in Nac has any information please reach out to @SFA_Softball staff. This is not ok!!! pic.twitter.com/gUvfe5qwMo
— Johnny Cardenas (@CoachCSFA) January 6, 2020
Police reports were filed with both the university police and Nacogdoches police departments, and anyone with information is urged to share it with the university.
