St. Mary’s Colgan opens new indoor hitting facility

May 13, 2026 Tyler Antle

By Tyler Antle and Nathan Watson

PITTSBURG, Kan — St. Mary’s Colgan High School has finished building a new indoor practice facility for their baseball and softball programs. School officials and coaches say the new indoor facility will help student athletes in many ways.

Inside the building are four hitting tunnels and turf flooring as well as equipment coaches would need such as pitching mounds, hitting tee’s, and L-screens for pitchers to stand behind during live at-bat’s.

The exterior of the building has bay doors that can be opened, allowing sunlight to come in when open or keep rainfall out when closed.

“The addition of the indoor hitting facility is going to be a game changer for spring sports,” said head softball coach Cassie Rhuems. “You can get a ton of swings, drills and work done in the facility.”

Colgan Principal Tim Conrad said the biggest reason for this facility was convenience. Before this, baseball and softball athletes would have to drive about a mile off campus to Lincoln Park, where their practice fields are located.

Now, teams are able to practice just outside the classroom, saving time for athletes and coaches.

Conrad said the school also needed more space because more students were getting involved in sports. This new facility allows large numbers of players to get quality practice time. He said it has provided more space to allow the highest quality of coaching due to the facility’s size.

Rhuems agreed, saying she feels like she is able to manage a practice much better than she had been before.

“It gives you a chance to really evaluate your athletes in close proximity, and it also gives athletes an opportunity to get a lot more reps than they would if they were on an open field,” Rhuems said.

Athletes are able to get more hitting in than what they would get on a bigger field, allowing them to get more reps in and improve on skills faster.

Cassie Rheums coaches hitting technique on a hitting tee at St. Mary’s Colgan High School in Pittsburg Kansas, on March 5, 2026. Photo credit Tyler Antle

Rhuems said the closer proximity also makes it easier for her to notice smaller mistakes in athletes, allowing her to fix what could’ve gone unseen.

Conrad said the facility helps the practice schedule remain organized.

“It has allowed for shared use between softball and baseball,” Conrad said. “As one team is using it, the other team can be outside working various skills and vice versa.’’

The facility is attached to the school’s weight room. This allows students to lift while others practice

Rhuems said the building helps her team still improve during poor weather. While Colgan’s baseball team plays on a turf field, the softball field is a dirt surface. When it rains, those fields can have delays that might stretch out longer than just one day due to muddy conditions.

“Having access to facilities like the indoor [cages] gives you a chance to never have to cancel practice,” Rhuems said.

Conrad said money for the project came from supportive donors. They also gave their time and labor to help build the facility.

He said the donors wanted to help because of ideas and discussions they’ve had over the years. This outside support made it easier on the school to finish this project quickly.

Rhuems also mentioned the community’s involvement showed her athletes that they have a community that wants them to succeed.

“It gives them pride in their school and their faith knowing there were people in the community who thought something like this was important enough to make it happen,” Rhuems said.

When weather isn’t an issue, Rhuems said teams will start in the indoor facility first and that, after doing hitting drills for about an hour, they will switch over to their field to work on defense drills.

The building has been nicknamed “The Watt” by the school, named after Colgan baseball coach Mike Watt, who has been with the Panthers for 41 years.

Rhuems said that it was fitting for the facility to be named after Coach Watt, who has won 17 state championships during his extensive career, making him one of the most successful coaches in the state of Kansas.

“He has never had any fancy practice facilities,” Rhuems said. “I think there is a lot to be said for that.”

Principal Conrad said he is very happy with the school’s new building, and he doesn’t think there is anything that needs to be changed to it as of now.

“We are blessed to have such a wonderful facility that we have nothing to improve,” Conrad said.