Today’s seniors were fourth graders when the Carlmont High School baseball field was first proposed to be turf, and it will finally be complete when they are freshmen in college. Carlmont has been planning to make its baseball field turf since 2016. In the spring of 2026, construction is set to begin.
The project is budgeted for $10.8 million and faces one final approval from the district and Carlmont officials. The money is coming from Measure W, a voter-approved bond measure that provides the Sequoia Union High School District with the opportunity to upgrade facilities.
Carlmont Athletic Director Patrick Smith sees many benefits from the turf field.
“We really need an extra practice field for various sports,” Smith said.
These include soccer, lacrosse, and flag football, which will have another field to practice on with the correct layout.
“What they’re going to do is, similar to what Aragon did, which is you don’t line it for flag football or line it for soccer, but there are dots on the field. So you can have a company come in and line it with regular paint that wears off after a while,” Smith said.
Along with replacing the grass and dirt with turf, the plan is to upgrade the press box, update the dugouts, add lights and WiFi, and finally, if the budget permits, stadium seating.
“I am looking forward to the lights so we can practice at any time and not have to clean the field after every practice and game,” said Carlmont baseball player Nathan Werbinski.
The project is scheduled not to cut into the baseball season, but if that happens, Carlmont is prepared to reach out to local high schools and parks to accommodate home games and practices until the field is complete.
“I’m excited, but cautiously optimistic at the same time,” said Carlmont head baseball coach Ryan Hamilton. “As far as what exactly the parts are going to be, what the stands are going to look like, what the dugouts are going to look like, nothing’s completely finalized.”
Another bonus for the baseball team is that having a turf field will greatly reduce the number of rainouts.
“Usually, when it rains at our field, it’s about a 48-hour wait time until we can use the field again,” Hamilton said.
The finalization of the new Carlmont baseball field faces one final vote in a meeting yet to be scheduled.
“I felt excited for a needed change for Carlmont baseball, potentially opening new opportunities for the program,” said Werbinski.
