CHAPMANVILLE – Ronnie Ooten always wanted a new home for his softball program.

It appears his wish will be coming true.

After the old Chapmanville High School girls’ softball field was torn down in 2005, along with the old Ted Ellis Field baseball facility to make room for the new Chapmanville Regional High School building, the Lady Tigers had to scramble to find a new home.

The Chapmanville girls have used the ASA/middle school diamond the last three seasons.

But that has caused problems over the years because the high school team has had to share field time with both the middle school squad and the youth teams.

Ooten, Chapmanville’s varsity coach since the program’s inception in 1981, has pushed the Logan County School Board of Education and school system to build another field.

That persistence has paid off.

Now, the Lady Tigers will be getting their own facility.

A new softball home for the Chapmanville Regional High School team is currently under construction.

The new facility will be located between Chapmanville Regional High School and the grade school building at the site of the former tennis courts.

Bulldozers were plowing dirt and the debris from the tennis courts on Saturday to make way for the new field.

This past winter a portion of the old Chapmanville High School building was torn down to open up the site. A lot of work has to be done, of course, but the team hopes to have the new softball field ready for the 2010 season.

A sign has been placed in front of the construction site on Crawley Creek Road which reads, “Chapmanville Regional High School Lady Tigers Softball.”

Under the banner head it says, “Logan Co. Board of Education,” then lists the names of President Phyllis Adkins and Board members Moss Burgess, Bill Davis, Allison Lambert and Bob Wolfe.

Ooten, entering his 30th season as coach of the Lady Tigers, has won four state championships, including last year’s Class AA state crown in which Chapmanville sported a 31-3 record. Chapmanville also won state softball championships in 1999, 2004 and 2007.

The Chapmanville baseball program had its new field built in 2007.