The Andalusia Lady Bulldogs are looking forward to moving on to their own softball field on the campus of Andalusia High School within the next month.

Parents, volunteers, coaches and countless others have spent the past several months working on the new facilities.

“It’s been a work in progress,” Andalusia head coach Anthony Mikel said. “We wanted to be in it by the time this season started, but it just didn’t work out like that. A lot of the work has been done by parents and originations that come around after they get off work or on the weekends. A lot of our players have also spent time out there working on getting it ready.”

Mikel said that the plan right now is to get the essentials finished up like the dugouts and backstop before starting to play on the field.

“There are a few things left that have to be finished before we can start playing,” Mikel said. “Some of the things we will continue to work on finishing up as we go along. The concrete people are coming in this weekend to finish up the backstop and then we will get the roof put on the other dugout next week. That’s about all that’s left before we can start playing on the field. Right now, our goal is to have it ready for our March 23rd game against Ashford.”

The new field is on the back side of the campus. Work began several years ago when the city started putting fill dirt in the area.

Superintendent Ted Watson said earlier this week said the softball facility won’t have bleachers this year. However, parents should be able to get pretty good views of the field from their lawn chairs, he said.

Long-term, a plan being considered by the Public Building Authority and the Board of Education to improve the AHS stadium calls for field house near the softball facility that would provide dressing areas for visiting football teams, as well as a locker room for softball.

The BOE is awaiting cost estimates on the proposed construction project before proceeding.