A cornfield in Adams County could soon become a new destination for baseball players and other athletes as organizers work to create their own version of the “Field of Dreams.”

For more than six months, supporters of Cross Keys Community Park in New Oxford have been developing plans for a full-size baseball field set among the cornfields, similar to the iconic Iowa diamond featured in the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams.”

Organizers are now seeking community support to help complete the project.

Plans call for a regulation-size field with 90-foot base paths and a pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. The outfield would extend about 360 feet to center field and approximately 310 feet down the left- and right-field lines.

The diamond would accommodate more than baseball. Organizers envision it being used for T-ball, softball and American Legion baseball, while providing another recreational option at Cross Keys Community Park.

Local baseball coaches and volunteers, including members of the Abbottstown Clubhouse Braves organization, are supporting the effort. Supporters see the project as an opportunity to encourage children to spend more time outdoors and participating in sports rather than on phones and other electronic devices.

Considerable work remains before players can take the field.

Plans include building dugouts and installing safety netting, along with completing the infield. Organizers estimate the infield alone will require about 250 tons of dirt, as well as equipment to haul, spread and grade the material.

Timing is important because much of that work needs to be completed while conditions remain dry. Park officials hope trucks can begin delivering material by the end of September, allowing crews to prepare and clean up the site.

Once the infrastructure is completed, organizers hope the result will be a community baseball field that can serve athletes of different ages and levels.

Source: ABC27