It was a perfect day for baseball, and the new Lincoln Civic Center baseball complex hit it out of the park.

The new facility opened to a host of games on Saturday. Aside from some minor parking troubles (there wasn’t enough of it), the day appeared to be a big success.

The fields are immaculate.  The facilities are top-notch. The bathrooms are even air-conditioned. It’s hard to imagine a nicer youth baseball facility anywhere in the state.

The complex didn’t come cheap, and there was some controversy along the way. But we’re grateful to the individuals and groups who helped see the project through.

Not only will this complex benefit thousands of youth in the years to come, it will also benefit Lincoln County. It’s the type of facility that can adequately host all-star tournaments and travel ball tournaments. Those events can bring big money to the county. Travelers will buy gas here, stay in hotels here, eat at local restaurants and shop in local stores.

The complex should be a much-needed boost to the local economy. But on Saturday’s perfect spring day, all that mattered was that the boys of summer had a great place to play ball.