Columbia hasn't had a baseball field since 2017, but that's about to change. Here's how.

Columbia will have a new youth baseball field next year.

A contribution from Clayton and Dean Buntrock is paying for the new field, as well a park just across the street.

The old baseball field was along the James River and flooded out several years ago.

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The Buntrock brothers were born and raised in Columbia. Clayton died in 2021. Dean no longer lives in Columbia, but has remained active in the community. His father, Rudy, served as town mayor.

Terry Birck, a friend of the family's who is overseeing the development of the baseball field and park, said work should be completed this fall.

Talk about new baseball field started in 2021

Columbia Baseball Committee Member Josh Larson said work started June 10, but discussion about a new baseball field started in spring 2021. Larson said that's when a committee was formed to talk about development of the field.

The diamond and park are being developed on lots north of the existing field, which was on land that regularly flooded. That field was built in the 1930s, Birck said. Because of flooding, it hasn't been used since 2017, Larson said.

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Larson is one of five people on the Columbia Baseball Committee. As they explored relocation options and a potential design, he said he reached out to Dean Buntrock, his grandmother's first cousin. Buntrock had previously invested in the community by way of a columbarium in the Columbia cemetery, so Larson pitched the baseball field idea.

'Dean always has bigger thoughts'

Buntrock called back the next day and soon planned a trip to Columbia to look at possible sites.

"He said, 'I'm going to do this project,'" Larson said. "What he's done is incredible."

The plan to establish a replacement field for youth baseball was soon expanded to include a park.

"Dean always has bigger thoughts," Larson said.

Park will include basketball, pickleball courts; three disc golf holes

Birck said a "first-rate youth ballpark" is in the works. Once work on the field and park is finished, he said, they will be gifted to the town.

The park will include many trees, a series of walking trails, bathrooms, a three-hole disc golf course, a basketball half-court and a pavilion, according to project designs. Larson said it will also have a pickleball court.

The youth ballfield complex will include a concession stand/restroom building, batting cage and parking lot.

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The lots are on both sides of Broadway, which runs through the city. The park will be on the west side of the street with the field on the east side, Birck said.

Larson said Buntrock purchased land for the park, and land for the field was donated by Larson's family and Agtegra.

Walking paths in the park will connect to paths leading to the ballfield, which will also have outdoor lighting for evening games, Birck said.

More that 100 trees will be planted as part of the park and ballfield project, he said.

Kyburz-Carlson Construction of Aberdeen is building the field and park. Confluence and CO-OP Architecture did the design work.

"Dean and Clay were very interested in benefitting Columbia with projects the town wanted," Birck said, noting that the idea for the baseball complex came from the community.

Larson said youth baseball players are temporarily using the field in Westport, but look forward to completion of the new field. Next year, Columbia will host the Three Rivers Little League Tournament featuring teams from Andover, Frederick, Claremont, Bath and Leola.

Several community committees formed

In addition to the development of the parks, additional funds have been set aside with the South Dakota Community Foundation for projects the town may come up with.

Paula Jensen, vice president of program development at Dakota Resources, said in addition to financing the development of the park and youth baseball field, Buntrock also put $250,000 in an endowment for the community through the South Dakota Community Foundation.

Larson said Buntrock has challenged the community to match that with another $250,000. That fundraising is under way, he said, but that effort already has  more than $100,000 in pledges

which has been matched by another $250,000 from the community. This was done initially to help the city with the future expenses of maintaining the park, but Jensen said, the funds can also be used for other community activities.

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While a Columbia Community Foundation committee has been formed, Jensen said, other local committees have been formed after two vision sessions were held in February. Those committees include a Columbia Community Cares committee, Improving Community Appearance, Creating Social Opportunities, fun raising and housing and recruiting businesses.

In all Jensen works with about 30 volunteers on these committees as a community coach.

"The whole piece is to help them imagine what's possible," she said.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: How Columbia, South Dakota is getting a new youth baseball field