Nate Johnson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Saguaro High School for AZPreps365.com.

One of the most famous lines ever spoken in a baseball movie came from the 1989 motion picture “Field of Dreams”, where a mysterious voice spoke to Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, in a dense cornfield.

“If you build it, they will come,” said the voice, who inspired Kinsella to build the greatest baseball field in Iowa.

And while the Saguaro Sabercats don’t play in Iowa, nor do they hear any mysterious voices, they aren’t ones to shy away from building one of the best diamonds in Arizona.

Field maintenance has been a cornerstone responsibility for the Sabercats, who help the Senior Facilities Services Technician Lucas Bitzer in keeping the field in tip-top shape.

Bitzer has worked on Saguaro’s field for the past three years, tending to its mixture of winter and bermuda grasses while making sure the infield dirt remains a clean surface for the players. 

A freshly painted left field line ahead of Saguaro's first game against Gilbert High School 

Arizona’s climate makes it one of the hardest states to maintain a lawn, let alone a baseball field, but players like junior first baseman Kyle Miiller understand how important it is to keep their home turf up to standard.

“You get what you give back,” Miiller said. “You gotta put all the little efforts in. It’ll show if you make a bad play, it might cost you because you didn’t rake up your side.”

It’s the little efforts that helped Saguaro go 28-3 last year en route to their third 4A state championship in the last 15 years. 

Junior Vinnie Keck took advantage of a well-maintained mound, posting a 2.80 ERA across 10 innings last season that could’ve gone differently had a ball taken a miscalculated hop.

“We take pride in everything we do,” Keck said. 

Saguaro’s head coach Joe Muecke preaches integrity to his players and how coming together to take care of their field will help them be better athletes and better teammates. 

“We talk a lot about ‘rowing the boat,’ and the same thing applies to field work,” Muecke said. “Everybody’s got to put the same energy into what we’re doing.” 

While Muecke commends his players efforts, he gives an immense amount of credit to Bitzer and the rest of the grounds crew for their hard work and caring attitudes.

“Hats off to them, they’re the ones who lead that,” Muecke said. “ We are just maintaining all their hard work. It’s a team effort, and we’re lucky to have so many people who enjoy that pride piece of this campus.”

 

A dust-covered home plate Wednesday morning at Saguaro High School

Likewise, Bitzer is happy with the relationship he has with the players and coaches as well as their commitment to their field.

“They make it quite easy to do my job,” Bitzer said. “All I have to do is come in and do my thing.”

As the Sabercats enter their first month of the season, they can rest assured knowing their field won’t cause them any issues. This allows Muecke to focus on his team's energy as they welcome the new season.

“They’re all jacked up,” Muecke said. “Everybody’s super excited for Day 1, but how much can they relax into their preparation? The quicker they relax, the better they’re gonna be.”