Renovated Ball Fields Feature Artificial Turf, Overhead Lights

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Just in time for summer, county officials opened three newly renovated baseball diamonds with artificial turf and lights at Centennial Park-West in Ellicott City.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball also said the new fields have been named the "A. Raul Delerme Fields” in honor of Deputy Chief Administrative Officer A. Raul Delerme, who began his career with the county in 1990 as a park planner and engineering specialist in Recreation and Parks.

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Delerme also served as Park Planning and Construction, Bureau Chief of Capital Projects and Director. He helped guide the construction of three community centers and the Meadowbrook Athletic Complex, created three new regional parks and provided a greater variety of amenities within each park.

“I am incredibly grateful and honored to have these fields bear my name. Throughout my career with Howard County, I have had the privilege of helping create spaces that bring people together, places where children can play, families can gather, neighbors can connect and lifelong memories can be made. This recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the collective efforts of so many dedicated colleagues, partners, and community members who have shared in making these accomplishments possible. May these field always be a place where kids play hard, dream big, and love the game of baseball and softball,” Delerme said at the unveiling of the fields.

Centennial Park’s west area opened nearly 40 years ago and continues to grow in popularity with its ball fields, basketball courts, hiking trails, playground and more. The transformation of the three grass and dirt baseball diamonds into state-of-the-art artificial turf fields with lighting will expand opportunities for play and extend the seasons in which these fields can be used, officials noted.

“Centennial Park has long been recognized as the jewel of Howard County. With its four distinct park areas, scenic lake loop and wide range of recreational opportunities, it continues to attract visitors from across the region,” Ball said at the unveiling. “As more residents and visitors enjoy everything this park has to offer, we remain committed to investing in improvements that enhance accessibility, recreation and the overall visitor experience. Moreover, we remain committed to ensuring that every kid has the opportunity to play ‘America’s favorite pastime’ and be a part of a sport that has positively impacted the lives of so many, like Raul.”

The next steps in the improvement project at Centennial Park-West include the conversion of two grass multipurpose fields into one large grass multipurpose field with lights. The transformation of this multipurpose field will create a premier venue capable of accommodating a wide range of sports and community activities. The restroom facilities adjacent to the ballfields will be updated, which includes the addition of a family restroom equipped with an adult changing station.

“The kids who get to play here will learn how to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves, how to work hard for something, how to win with grace and lose with dignity, how to get back up again after they stumble, how to strike out but not give up. Those are lessons that carry far beyond these beautiful new fields,” said Dan Hedgecock, coach with the Columbia Baseball League, at the presentation of the new fields.