Lake Michigan College has been getting positive reviews of its newly refurbished ballfields.

LMC Executive Vice President Ken Flowers told college trustees this week the fields are “incredible” and in constant use. He told us the new AstroTurf and other improvements have made a major difference by eliminating drainage issues.

“So ultimately, that’s what’s really helpful,” Flowers said. “We’ve got the turf, so it really easily drains the water away from it, and then that way, even when the snow melts, they’ll come in, the snow gets on it, it melts pretty quickly. So really, there’s that in itself, and it takes little to no time to be ready to play on.”

Prior to the improvements authorized by trustees in 2024, Lake Michigan College athletic teams were often prevented from competing on their home fields due to flooding. They frequently would rent out facilities from nearby high schools. Flowers said that’s no longer necessary, and in fact, other colleges and universities have been borrowing LMC’s facilities.

“They’ll call and say, ‘Hey, can we rent the field for a few hours to play,’ and we’re just open arms. We love to see the impact because we like to help…It’s like being in the region and helping the whole region.”

In addition to changing out grass for AstroTurf, new topsoil was placed in the fields.

The expected cost of the renovations, when approved, was expected to be about $6.3 million. The college held a celebration to dedicate the new softball field in September.