DANBURY — Conditions at the Rogers Park baseball field had gotten so bad college coaches started to take notice.

The field, which is used by the Danbury Westerners, Babe Ruth league and other teams, suffered from poor drainage and an uneven playing field.

“Some college coaches had refused to allow the players to come play for the Westerners anymore,” said Bill Guider, spokesman for the Danbury Westerners, a summer team for college players, some of whom have gone onto to play in the major league.

But about $200,000 worth of upgrades to the field are expected to be completed by the Westerners’ opening day on June 3.

The field will be leveled out, new clay will be installed and the drainage system will be improved, Mayor Mark Boughton said. Nets along the third-base line are also in the works, he said.

“It’s a nice thing to offer residents in the summer to see a great baseball game with some super high-quality baseball,” Boughton said.

After heavy rain, the field was often unplayable for 12 to 24 hours later, Guider said. It was typical for the ball to bounce badly because of the uneven surface, he said.

“The Westerners are very grateful to the city of Danbury for the effort they’re making to improve the field,” Guider said.

He added the project would benefit the youth and adult leagues that use the field, too.

The Westerners, a non-profit run by volunteers, have invested various upgrades into the field in recent years, Guider said. This includes professional-style benches and dark screens to prevent vehicle lights from shining onto the field, hindering players’ ability to see the ball, he said. A “much-improved” professional scoreboard is planned for the 2021 season, he said.

A donor also gave the team about $4,000, which the Westerners will use to purchase nets to prevent foul balls from flying to the crowd, Guider said.

The city is looking to allocate $30,000 to install the poles needed for the nets, Boughton said. That money was not part of the original funding approved in the previous fiscal year’s capital budget, he said.

The unusually warm weather has helped get the project started sooner, he said.

“Luckily because the winter has been so mild, we’ve been able to do a lot of work now,” Boughton said.

Boughton called Rogers Park the no. 1 location for residents to participate in or watch athletic events.

The city aims to install sidewalks to connect the baseball field and Rogers Park Middle School as part of the $62 million borrowing plan that will go before voters in April, he said. New, LED lights at the baseball field, as well as replacement of the turf soccer field are also planned, Boughton said.

At the baseball field, Boughton hopes additional bathrooms and a better vendor stand could be installed in the future.

Last summer, the city spent $700,000 to upgrade the tennis courts, which has been popular, he said.

“It’s been well worth it,” Boughton said.