ADAMS TWP — Two youth ball fields will have a bright future, thanks to the Mars Area Youth Baseball Association.

Brett Schultz, the association’s equipment manager, received unanimous approval Tuesday night from the Mars School Board to proceed with a project that would see two youth baseball fields off Brickyard Road next to the primary center outfitted with lighting, dugouts and a new concession stand.

The baseball fields will be the first in the Mars School District to be lighted.

The light stands would be placed in the infield near first and third bases, and near each outfield pole on each field. Eight total lights will be purchased.

The lights will cost $100,000, plus $40,000 to $50,000 for parts and service. The association has part of the money on hand, and will initiate a number of fundraisers in the near future to pay the remainder of the cost, Schultz said.

The association also will go after a Baseball Tomorrow grant from Major League Baseball as well as one from the Pittsburgh Pirates that provides up to $500,000. The association would have to provide matching funds if they receive either of those grants.

As a land development professional at Weaver Master Builders in Adams Township, Schultz said he can hire a contractor to install the lights at half the cost quoted by Musco Lighting, the Iowa company that will design and build the lights.

Members of the baseball association and community will perform much of the basic work needed to install the lights and build the dugouts and concession stand, Schultz said.

The goal of the project is to reduce routine maintenance costs for the association by eliminating the use of the St. Barnabas-owned field in Valencia and the Seven Fields diamond in the community park.

Schultz said while personnel from both entities have been helpful and accommodating regarding the use of their ball fields, he fears that the association will be caught short if one of them would suddenly decide its ballfield could no longer be used by the association.

“My fear is that some new attorney will come on the board and say ‘Why are you doing this?’” Schultz said.

He said the two fields are older and require much more maintenance than the school district or Adams Community Park fields, which also are used by the 450 athletes ages 6 to 18 who belong to the association. Older athletes also use Marburger Field in Mars and Callery Field, Schultz said.

On Tuesday night, superintendent Jim Budzilek asked Schultz what time the latest game would be played.

“You want to be a good neighbor to the residents of Brickyard Road,” Budzilek said.

Schultz replied that the latest game would wrap up around twilight.

“We’re certainly not going to be up here until 11 p.m.,” Schultz said.

He said dugouts also will be added to the field nearest the primary center so young players can have some shade and avoid foul balls, particularly during a multigame tournament on very hot summer days.

“The kids may play two to four games in a day in mid-July, and they’re just baking on the bleachers,” Schultz said.

The aging concession stand behind the fields, Schultz said, has insufficient electrical service. The building’s original purpose was a shed.

“We always have electrical problems because it was never intended to have fans, hot plates and a soda machine running at the same time,” Schultz said.

The school board approved the lighting along with the concession stand and dugouts. Schultz requested some agreement between the district and association that would prevent any of the improvements being removed for district projects, which the board agreed to.

“We appreciate Mr. Schultz and the Mars Youth Baseball Association’s generosity and willingness to take on this community project, which will benefit so many boys and girls in our community,” said school board President Dayle Ferguson.

Schultz also has received approval to move forward from the Adams Township supervisors, and consulted with Penn Power regarding electric service for the lights. The association will pay the electric bill for the lights.

Schultz said he hopes to have the lights up and running by late summer or early fall.

“The board and administration enthusiastically support this effort and thank these volunteers for their initiative in bringing this proposal forward,” Ferguson said.