Renovations taking place at Fergie Jenkins Field in preparation for Barnstormers season

Despite the cold and blustery conditions, Fergie Jenkins Field is a hive of construction activity.

Workers are currently installing metal bleachers along the baselines. Out beyond the right field bullpen, construction crews are adding onto the Ewald Homes Fieldhouse, building a clubhouse.

The clubhouse project is a partnership between the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers and the Chatham Minor Baseball Association (CMBA).

In a social media post, the Barnstormers said the project would not be possible without the generosity and assistance of Dave Ewald from Ewald Homes Limited and Matt Nahdee.

When completed, it’s expected the Barnstormers and CMBA players will have a facility comparable to any top-notch minor league team would have, with locker rooms, showers, laundry facilities, kitchenette, office space, training room and other amenities required for a higher-level of baseball.

This will be the inaugural season for the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers, who will play in the Intercounty Baseball League.
The Barnstormers’ first game will be a road contest on May 17 in Brantford. Their first home game will take place the next day on May 18 against the Kitchener Panthers.

The expansion franchise made an agreement with Chatham-Kent in 2022, where the municipality agreed to make $195,500 in capital improvements to Fergie Jenkins Field. Those improvements included additional bleachers, wind screening, field grooming equipment, a batter’s eye, and a portable backstop.

The Barnstormers signed a five-year agreement with Chatham-Kent for the use of Fergie Jenkins Field.