Softball group asks Wasilla parks commission to back multi-field expansion, turf and access work at Bumpus Ballpark

A representative of a local softball association asked the Wasilla Parks and Recreation Commission to consider a multi-year expansion plan for Bumpus Ballpark that would add two fields, install all‑weather turf, and improve access, parking and restrooms.

The request, presented to the commission during a public meeting, was accompanied by engineering drawings, a contractor proposal and a plan binder the group distributed to commissioners and staff. “We are very excited to hear from the City Council that there’s plans to install bathrooms and pave the parking lot at the ballpark this fall,” the presenter said.

The association says current demand exceeds capacity: the complex has capacity for 48 teams under the current four‑field schedule (three games per field nightly, roughly 6:30 p.m., 7:40 p.m. and 8:50 p.m.), and organizers said they have been turning teams away. The group told the commission it expects large summer tournaments — one presenter referred to a men’s tournament in July that draws roughly 32–35…