EVANSVILLE, IN – The new baseball and softball complex at North Green River and Heckel roads made its debut last weekend to generally good reviews, but local coaches did point out a flaw that one termed “a little ridiculous.”

Scoreboards on the eight fields show the game’s score and inning, but they do not indicate other essential game data — namely balls, strikes and outs.

The $16.5 million, built and managed by the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau, is being counted on to generate tourism for the area. It hosted its first tournament and opening ceremonies last weekend. The next one is booked June 20-21, and others are to follow during the summer.

Coaches — while praising positives about the complex and the economic impact it will have — said they were surprised by the scoreboards’ omission of balls, strikes and outs.

“I don’t know why you even buy a scoreboard without that,” said Mike Webb, coach of the Rookies 9U team consisting of boys from Boonville and Newburgh.

Jeff Rothschild, who coaches the Evansville-based Southern Indiana Legends, a squad of 12-year-olds, said it is “awesome” that the area finally has its own baseball and softball complex, and the first tournament was undoubtedly a success.

However, “I can’t imagine a baseball facility that doesn’t have balls strikes and outs on the scoreboard,” Rothschild said.

Visitors Bureau Marketing Director Laura Libs said the scoreboard design was motivated in part by the message board, which will allow for the sale of advertising to generate revenue for the park.

“That certainly was part of the discussion,” Libs said.

In all, 47 baseball teams were signed up for last weekend’s tournament at Deaconess Sports Park. The complex was not entirely finished, and there were a few glitches. Scoreboards malfunctioned in two instances.

Concession stands ran low on food, “which was a good and a bad thing,” Libs said.

Coaches said the last-minute push to prepare fields for games was evident — sod was not packed solidly — but they praised efforts of the grounds crew, whose task was made even more challenging by occasional rain during the tournament.

“They did a nice job to deal with rain spurts, and they dragged the field after every game and rechalked it,” Webb said. “Everywhere else we play, they chalk the field before the first game and then don’t redo it the rest of the day.”

Rothschild said, “I saw them work 12-14 hour days. They worked extremely long hours, and what they did is amazing. It’s local jobs for our economy. In Elizabethtown (Kentucky), with rain, a tournament doesn’t get played.”

Rothschild, the owner of Evansville Garage Doors, said the arrival of Deaconess Sports Park will mean good things for the region and the local baseball and softball community.

“As a travel coach, to be able to sleep in your own bed and not a hotel, to not have to drive two hours for quality baseball is awesome,” Rothschild said. “The kids loved being able to play at their home. And from a business standpoint, they were able to spend their money locally instead of in other cities and their own concession stands instead of in Kentucky, (elsewhere in) Indiana or in Illinois.”

Rothschild saw visiting teams in local restaurants and in Eastland Mall during the weekend.

“The most important thing I can tell you from a business standpoint is that dollars stayed in the community,” he said.

But Rothschild said Deaconess Sports Park, while “beautiful,” needs to consider upgrading some fields for baseball teams in older age groups, while also tweaking the scoreboards.

The complex’s eight fields can only accommodate 70-foot baselines, which are used for baseball for players as old as 12. Visitors bureau officials have said they did not intend for the facility to be used by older boys, who need at least 80-foot baselines, and they will consider paying for expanded infields.

The cost is about $30,000 per field.

Tournament organizers were caught off guard when they learned Deaconess Sports Park could not accommodate 13-year-old baseball. Last weekend, 13-year-old teams played at Bosse Field, a professional baseball park with 90-foot baselines.

Game Day USA, the same sponsor of last weekend’s tournament at Deaconess Sports Park, will return for another tournament June 26-28. But for that event, games in the older age division will not be moved to Bosse Field or other Evansville sites. Those games have been canceled, and 13-year-old teams that had signed up were offered refunds or an opportunity to play in a Columbus, Indiana, event.

An email to coaches from Game Day USA cited “logistical challenges” of having 13-year-old games at an alternate site, miles away from the primary location.

Rothschild said, “For the dollars that would be brought in for that age bracket, it would be worth it (upgrading some fields at Deaconess Sports Park) for older age groups. I definitely think they ought to look at it. There’s big money in travel baseball. When I played — and I’m 42 years old — baseball stopped in May and June. Now we play year-round.”

Visitors bureau officials have said the complex was designed only for girls’ softball and for baseball up to age 12 because they considered those the strongest tourism markets. The complex in northeast Vanderburgh County is adjacent to Goebel Soccer Complex.