Renovations to District 156 athletic facilities continue with the recent construction of a new soccer practice field at McCracken Field that is making way for a new varsity baseball field at Upper Campus.
The new baseball field will have a turf infield and a sod outfield – one of the first for the area. The baseball field will replace a soccer field since soccer has fully moved to McCracken. Soccer games are now played on the turf field at McCracken, which was built last year, while a new soccer practice field was added in 2023.
Plans also call for a renovation of the softball field at Upper Campus, including the addition of turf, in time for the 2025 season. Crews started recently clearing the site for the new varsity field, which will be right next to the softball field.
The addition of a varsity baseball field at Upper Campus will move varsity games from Petersen Park field, which baseball has used for the last 15 years. Freshman baseball will be played at Petersen Park.
The improvement projects at district athletic fields are part of a larger plan to transform McHenry Community High School facilities and academic spaces and develop innovative course pathways and programs. That long-term plan included the 70,000-square-foot Center for Science, Technology and Industry, which opened in 2021.
