The baseball game scheduled May 15 between Lathrop Police Services and the Lathrop Manteca Fire District was supposed to be the first game played on the new Islanders Field at River Islands.

But Mother Nature had other plans.

With a spring storm arriving early  last Wednesday morning that brought a fair amount of precipitation to Northern California over, the event was postponed for a week to allow for conditions to improve and the community to enjoy the new venue without having to contend with raindrops.

The field was approved by the Lathrop Planning Commission as part of the River Islands Town Center last June, and the facility will be part of a wider sports complex aimed at providing recreational opportunities for the residents of the growing master-planned community.

And while it has yet to formally be unveiled, the field could end up being the nicest public baseball facility in the area.

With 550 seats arranged in a mixed configuration that includes both bleachers and backed seats as well as a press box, scoreboard, concession stand, restrooms, and lights, the field – which will include base spacing that will allow it to be used for high school or adult baseball games – is located near the Bradshaw’s Crossing Bridge and not far from the River Islands Welcome Center.

As part of the anchor for the new River Islands Town Center, the baseball field will be but half of the athletic facilities that will serve the residents of the area. A total of six full-sized soccer fields with lights and a mobile office that will be home to the “River Islands Football Club”, even though the facility will be open on an interim basis until the land it is constructed on is developed for mixed-use property.

The 8-acre baseball facility and 16-acre soccer facility are being used as a "catalyst for other Town Center development" and to aid in providing "diverse and high-quality recreational programs to River Islands and area residents" according to the staff report. 

The recreational facilities would also supplement the existing River Islands Technical Academy - also an interim site - and provide amenities that are not currently available at the site.

The game between the Lathrop Police Officers and Firefighters will now be held on Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. at Islanders Field which is located off of River Islands Parkway near Somerston Drive. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for 5 p.m. and the exhibition game will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Tours of the stadium will be available, and refreshments will be served to those who attend.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.