As Robert Morris opens up their home slate this weekend, the Colonials enter this season coming off their best season in the Horizon League making it all the way to the conference championship game against Oakland.

But there is one glaring issue within the softball team and it is time to take a look at the softball field as a whole. It is time to upgrade the field and make it a premier field of the Horizon League.

Let’s start off with the field itself.

As we have seen in years past, the field does not drain well and that causes the outfield to be a swamp. It is time to go to a turf outfield. Turf has time and time again proved to be a lot better than grass as it drains a lot easier. There would be a big return on investment if you go to turf because we will have a lot fewer cancellations because of field conditions. Is it expensive yes, but it would help in the long run.

Take today for example, the rubber match between Detroit Mercy was pushed back from noon to 4 p.m. due to rain.

Next, it is time to add lights. Having lights would help so much because you would be able to hold night games at the field and it would allow you to host a Horizon League Tournament game as well because you would have the ability to play night games. The scoreboard is good and would not need to be replaced.

Now let’s talk about seating. It is time to have more than a single set of bleachers down both the first and third base line.

It is time to increase seating. The hill can easily be converted into seating. It does not have to be full-fledged seating, it can be bleachers.

Also, you can build around home plate and have real seats. It does not have to be massive, but a little seating section around home plate. Then you could build a media section on top of that area and have another media section to replace the shed that is there.

A prime example of what I would like to see is what Montclair State’s softball field looks like.

While I have a vision here for the softball field, I get that everything that I am suggesting is expensive.

However, it is time to start gradually upgrading the softball field as the Colonials will be a staple in the Horizon League and it is time to make the Northern Athletic Complex a premier venue.