If you were to stand atop the pitcher’s mound at Sands Field Saturday afternoon, with the sun shining and a light breeze blowing out to left field, close your eyes, and stop thinking for just a moment – just one moment – you might swear you were in Dyersville, Iowa.

Shoeless Joe Jackson could be trotting out of the swaying cornfields that border the otherworldly green outfield.

When you took a relaxed breath and opened your eyes, you’d see it’s not corn out there. It’s a stand of pine trees hugging the outfield.

And it’s not Shoeless Joe – it’s a wide-eyed Babe Ruth League teenager, taking in his first view of Sands Field.

That green sod and dirt-brown basepath dirt, the brick-red, finely crushed rock that fronts the dugouts, the too-white home plate that has never been sullied by a barreling-around-third baserunner and a hoping-upon-hope, arcing throw from deep center…

A ferry horn in the distance breaks the silence. You’re not in Iowa. You’re on Bainbridge Island.

Three years in the making, Sands Field is no longer a somnolent fantasy. The first full-sized diamond to be built on the island in more than 30 years, it’s the culmination of vision and volunteerism.

“Rather than fight to get the fields at Gazzam, we decided to use the money for separate ball fields that could quickly and readily come into existence – Hidden Cove and Sands Field,” said Daryle Schei, who will represent the park district in throwing out the first pitch Saturday.

The soccer portion of the complex opened to play last fall. Construction costs totalled about $300,000, paid for out of funding included in the Gazzam Lake bond levy of 1993, when fields were contemplated at the southeast corner of the lake property.

“Daryle was instrumental in fighting to get those funds,” said Babe Ruth volunteer Rick De Barros.

Construction of the backstop, dugouts, and grass infield were paid for by the Babe Ruth organization. Also, a number of construction services were free or greatly discounted, for which Schei credited the work of former park district director Dave Lewis.

“Al Bowman and Island Concrete, Fred Hill Materials, Pinnacle Roofing did the metal dugout roofs, the school district (for property) and Bainbridge Island Park District gave us a great opportunity. There are so many others that contributed greatly to this project,” De Barros said.

Opening day ceremonies will include a field dedication and baseball events, as well as a live auction and the opportunity to purchase Karen Lawson-designed “founders tiles,” available at four different contributor levels – home run, triple, double and single. Commemorative renditions of the field and Sands Field baseball hats and T-shirts will also be sold.

Proceeds will help to complete a Bill Wesolowski Memorial Press Box/Snack Shack. The late Wesolowski was a supporter of island youth sports programs as a coach, volunteer organizer and administrator, and “did a lot for baseball on the island,” De Barros said.

Festivities start at 4 p.m. Saturday, with baseball at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.

“It will be exciting to finally see kids playing out here, enjoying themselves,” De Barros said.