'Worse than I anticipated': Olentangy Berlin athletic facilities damaged in storms
Olentangy Berlin High School's football, baseball and softball facilities sustained damage Thursday night when powerful storms that included tornadoes ripped through central Ohio. No one was hurt at the school.
At least three people died in Logan County, and storms knocked down trees and powerlines and damaged homes in Delaware County, where Berlin is located. Olentangy Schools were closed Friday.
"It was a lot worse than I anticipated when I drove up (to Berlin on Friday)," athletic director John Betz said.
The football stadium scoreboard, two baseball scoreboards and two softball scoreboards “all disintegrated,” Betz said, other than their support poles. Engineers checked the football stadium, which Betz said "is in good shape" except for sheet metal damage.
"It’s a lot of cleanup," he said. "Our maintenance crews took out probably 10 truckloads of sheet metal and things and debris. We have unbelievable people in the district that will turn this around."
The football stadium's artificial turf field will be cleaned to make sure it is free of debris, Betz said.
Keep our friends at @obhsbaseball in your thoughts in the coming days as tornadoes moved through Central Ohio last night... 🙏#HsBaseballFieldspic.twitter.com/LdEF28dxOz
— HS Baseball Fields Of America! (@HSBaseballField) March 15, 2024
Fences and batting cages were damaged at the baseball and softball fields, but the dugouts "remain intact," Betz said. The fields, which are grass and dirt, should be ready for play by early April when the teams return from early season trips to Florida, he said.
The baseball team might install a temporary snow fence to replace the damaged outfield fence, coach Mike Weaver said.
Debris from the team's maintenance barn wound up in the outfield, and the varsity field bleachers "were blown through our backstop," he said.
“We had just put in a brick backstop with padding and netting, and it basically took out half of it. We’re going to have to demolish it. I think we’ll put four new posts up and get netting for them."
Weaver has spent countless hours helping to build and maintain Berlin's baseball facilities. He has led the program since the school opened in 2018.
"It was like my own vision, and it got destroyed in one night, so it’s tough," he said. "When it comes down to it, those are things that can be rebuilt. We’re just glad everyone is safe."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Olentangy Berlin High School athletic facilities damaged in storms
