Saddlemire Field

Saddlemire Field Photos - Spring 2008

The Colchester High School baseball field was renamed on May 22, 2001, to honor former coach and teacher Dave Saddlemire, who was the varsity head coach from 1984 to 2001 and the junior varsity head coach from 1981 to 1983.

In recent years, the dugouts have twice been rebuilt, and the Lakers' home field added permanent foul poles and a newer breakaway fence for the 2008 campaign. Permanent chain-link fences with a yellow capping were added in the years that followed. Much volunteer work has been done to the field since CHS spent the 2002 season on the road following vandalism to Saddlemire Field.

The dugouts, which have always been composed of concrete-block walls and a wooden roof, were built some time around 1978, according to Saddlemire. The original dugouts were each about four feet deep before they were filled with gravel and stone around 1982.

"They were all in the ground, which was a terrible mistake," said Saddlemire, "[and they] would flood and freeze in winter and could not be used in the spring until late May."

Temporary fences first appeared around 1983, and Saddlemire determined the dimensions during his varsity tenure. Distances down the line consistently measured between 300 and 330 feet while center field was between 375 and 400 feet from home plate.

From 1976 until 1984, the infield dirt was a mixture of clay and sand before being replaced by red slate dust in 1985. Beginning in 1998 the infield dirt was composed of grey slate dust until a few years ago.

Around 1990, Saddlemire and former junior varsity coach Ed Poland constructed the batting tunnel along the first-base side. Dick Pecor, the father of former player Jeff Pecor '91, was instrumental in getting the piping donated from a construction company in South Burlington, Saddlemire said.

Lakers at CHS
Year W-L
1976 5-3
1977 1-6
1978 1-7
1979 3-4
1980 3-6
1981 5-3
1982 10-1
1983 9-3
1984 5-4
1985 4-3
1986 3-5
1987 2-6
1988 1-7
1989 3-5
1990 2-4
1991 2-6
1992 3-5
1993 5-4
1994 2-6
1995 5-4
1996 5-3
1997 1-6
1998 5-4
1999 4-4
Year W-L
2000 8-2
2001 5-3
2002 *
2003 3-5
2004 1-7
2005 3-4
2006 2-6
2007 4-3
2008 4-4
2009 5-3
2010 6-3
2011 8-1
2012 6-3
2013 9-2
2014 2-7
2015 11-0
2016 7-3
2017 5-3
2018 8-3
2019 7-3
2021 7-3
2022 7-3
2023 6-3
W-L: 213-183
* unable to play at home due to vandalism