Louisville goes back to high school to prepare for dirt field at College World Series

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Lee Toole’s wife likes to joke that he takes better care of the Lewis Central High School baseball field than his own yard.  

As head coach for the last 20 years, Toole has become a perfectionist. The simplest blemish on the field, which has been there since the school 10 minutes outside of Omaha, Nebraska, was built in 1961, bothers him.  

So when he found out Wednesday afternoon that four college teams, including Louisville, were coming to practice there Thursday morning he went to work.  

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From about 4 p.m., after his team’s game, until 9 p.m., and again at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning, Toole was out preparing the field.  

Louisville, which opens the NCAA College World Series Sunday at 2 p.m. against Vanderbilt, was the first of the teams to take the field.

At 9 a.m. they got off the bus and walked onto a field with a 330-foot fence to center field, two bleachers behind home plate and a tiny press box. 

Behind the outfield fence kids caught all the home runs Louisville players hit. On a football field just beyond the first baseline, high schoolers ran conditioning drills. A few onlookers just wanted a glimpse of how a College World Series team practices in preparation for games at TD Ameritrade Stadium. 

Baseball in June is the talk of the town in Omaha and surrounding areas. 

“It’s cool how the community embraces you and the local high schools take great pride in the baseball teams coming out,” Louisville coach Dan McDonnell said. “It’s part of the culture, and the hospitality is neat.” 

Toole and Lewis Central High School have asked to host teams in previous years. A team came for batting practice one year, but the school never hosted practices until this year.  

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Though it was on short notice, Toole was ecstatic to get the news. A baseball fanatic, both his sons played at the University of Iowa, and they work in MLB organizations. 

“This is awesome,” Toole said while watching Louisville practice. “I live and die for this.”  

So do the Louisville players, who weren't bothered by adjusting to a high school field – for the first time in years for some – after playing all season on the turf at Jim Patterson Stadium. 

“You just have to get your feet working and get them faster,” shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald said.  

The transition from turf to dirt is important for Louisville because TD Ameritrade Stadium is a dirt and grass field. When fielding on both surfaces, players have to account for inopportune bounces and movement from the ball.  

“Infielders have to be able to take a good first step, you have to read that first bounce,” McDonnell said. “On grass the ball snakes on the ground.”  

Louisville will practice and play on grass for the rest of the CWS. Fitzgerald said he doesn’t think the adjustment will be too much for the Cardinals.  

“Obviously you will have some bad hops, but if you can get your feet working and time it better you’ll be fine," he said.  

For the most part the Cardinals ran through a normal practice Thursday, but a shortened one. They had two long practices before leaving Louisville, but at this point McDonnell said he just wants to keep the team sharp.  

No matter how relaxed the drills were, they still drew a small audience – one that Toole expected to grow larger as people finished their Thursday morning obligations.  

When Louisville finally finished at 10:30 a.m., and Auburn began to take the field, kids lined up outside the dugout for autographs.  

The Louisville players signed each ball they were given.  

These are unforgettable moments for freshman Alex Binelas. He grew up attending the College World Series and was the young fan who chased down foul balls in the stands and asked for every autograph he could.  

Now, years later, he’s the one signing baseballs.  

“It’s stuff you dream about as a kid,” Binelas said. “You always wanted to be that hero when you get older. Now that I have the opportunity to make a kid’s day to sign a ball or giving them a ball, it’s a special feeling.”  

There are many things to remember about trips to the College World Series. There are the signs that hang on each light pole on the streets by the stadium, representing each team, and the banners in the hotels. There's a magical atmosphere around downtown. 

But what McDonnell, who is now in his fifth trip as a coach, remembers the most are the people. Like the ones at practice Thursday morning.  

“It’s how welcoming they are and how proud they are to be hosting such a great event,” McDonnell said. “Their hospitality, generosity and their warmth, it’s really neat. It’s special for the kids.”  

At the end of the practice Trey Leonard, the only player on the team from Iowa, stepped into the middle of the huddle and repeated the mantra the Cardinals have had all year.  

“Keep the main thing the main thing,” he said.  

That's been the focus all season. It hasn't stopped yet. 

“It’s awesome that you are here and it’s awesome that you made it, but this was not our final goal,” Fitzgerald said. “Our goal is to win the thing, and we are going to do our best to do that.”  

Info:Louisville vs. Vanderbilt: How to watch the 2019 NCAA College World Series

Follow Courier Journal reporter Cameron Teague Robinson on Twitter: @cj_teague; Email: CTeagueRob@gannett.com; Phone: 502-582-4992.