New field turf expands athletic opportunities for Eden Christian Academy

The roller-coaster ride of Pittsburgh-area weather took a nosedive on a momentous day for Eden Christian Academy.

But jackets, gloves and caps helped spectators make it through the damp blustery afternoon of March 15 to witness the first baseball game on artificial turf at the school’s athletic field in Ohio Township, one of Eden’s three campuses along with locations in Ross and Pine.

“We definitely wouldn’t have played today if we didn’t have the turf field,” head coach Mark Feldman said after his Warriors’ 9-0 victory over McGuffey High School. “Trying to play baseball in Western Pennsylvania in early March is very difficult, and this absolutely helps us. It’s great.”

He joined Christian Wecker, Eden’s chief operations officer, in cutting a ceremonial ribbon to christen the improved playing surface. Anna Aiken, director of development/alumni relations, and Melanie Rocha, development liaison, put the ribbon in place at the game’s end, and players stood nearby for a commemorative photo before two pairs of gold-plated scissors did their thing.

The baseball diamond represents the first phase of a $1 million project, with expansion of the turf planned during the summer to accommodate high school soccer for boys and girls.

“We have a number of teams that all use one field, and so consequently, we needed something that would withstand it,” head of school Todd Aiken said. “Fortunately, we had a number of families, people connected to Eden, who came alongside and supported the endeavor.”

As far as baseball is concerned, pitchers are able to throw from a mound that provides extra stability as they wind up and deliver. And the turf eliminates the presence of, say, pebbles that cause balls to go on unexpected trajectories.

“Middle infielders love this field,” Feldman acknowledged.

In 2021, Eden Christian qualified the state playoffs, where the Warriors eliminated two district champions and advanced to the semifinals.

For Todd Aiken, the turf project represents a unifying element for Eden.

“The goal with this is, as much as we’ll compete and have athletics, is to build community within the school,” he said. “We see that with the number of families out here today, even on a cold day.”

Eden Christian Academy, founded in 1983, enrolls more than 770 students, in preschool through sixth grade at its Ross and Pine campuses, and seventh through 12th grades in Ohio Township. For more information, visit www.edenchristianacademy.org.