Changes are Coming to Pilot Field, but the History Will Remain

Early in the season, the LSUS Pilots took a weekend trip to Monroe, Louisiana to compete in the Cajun Collision, a round robin-style tournament hosted by LSU- Shreveport. I rode home from the event with the award-winning athletic director of LSUS, Lucas Morgan. 

Of the many things Morgan and I chatted about on the two-hour drive home, one topic that stood put to me were the plans of reconstruction of Pilot Field at season's end. We jokingly talked about putting stands behind the outfield fences, a beer garden down the right field line, and even installing a lazy river or pool somewhere around the park. In all seriousness, Morgan talked about the plans to improve the drainage at Pilot Field, something they have been working on doing for a while. 

According to an article by Roy Lang III of the Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate, it is a project three years in the making. If you were to go to the LSUS Baseball page on X, click on the article on shreveportbossieradvocate.com, or drive yourself to campus to see the field yourself, you will see lots of dirt lying around the outfield. The entire outfield has been dug up in what you call a “level 1 laser regrade” according to Lang III in his article. Head Coach Brad Neffendorf told Lang III, “I thought it was going to be new dirt, but the topsoil now is the dirt they took from underneath,” 

This is great news for those in charge of field maintenance, especially when it rains. During the first day of the Shreveport Regional, which was one of ten regionals making up the first round of the NAIA baseball tournament, there was a giant downpour that lasted about five minutes. I was sitting in the press box helping call the game that was taking place when the rain began, and it was easy to see the aftermath of the rain from the press box once the rain cleared up.

Seemingly countless water puddles, some the size of a small kiddy pool, had taken over Pilot Field. I joined many staff workers, as well as coaches and players of other teams at LSUS to dry the field as best as we could. After that experience, I can tell you this is an exceptionally good thing for LSUS baseball. 

Now, do not worry. The “magical dirt” as put by Lang III in the title of his article, is still there. Also, the all-turf infield will remain as it is. In fact, it is the one thing intact at Pilot Field right now. The field will be easily cleaned up and ready to play on by opening day 2026 when the national champion Pilots get ready to start another season 1-0 in January. This will be the biggest opening day in LSUS history, as they look to extend their historic win streak to an unfathomable 60-0. Until then, all you can do is wait.