North Salem High School

North Salem High School is a member of the 6A Central Valley Conference (CVC), which features six Salem-Keizer programs: McKay, McNary, North Salem, South Salem, Sprague, and West Salem. The conference features one of the more varied collections of ballparks in the area, ranging from expansive outfields at McNary and West Salem to the compact dimensions of South Salem and McKay and the unique short right-field porch at Sprague. Understanding each park can play an important role in game preparation and strategy.

Field Location: 1401 Pearl St NE, Salem, OR 97301

Strategy: Pitching & Defense Focus

• Keep the ball away from the short left- and right-field lines. At 315 feet to left and just 309 to right, pull-side mistakes can be costly.
• Pitchers should work down in the zone and try to force hitters toward the larger portion of the field rather than allowing easy pull-side elevation.
• Center field at 340 feet provides more room than the corners, making contact toward the middle of the field generally more manageable defensively.
• Corner outfielders should protect the lines while the center fielder can play slightly deeper and be prepared to cover the alleys.
• Outfield communication is especially important on balls hit into the gaps because of the difference between the short corners and deeper center field.
• The 43-foot backstop limits some opportunities for runners to advance on pitches that get away. Catchers should pursue quickly, with pitchers prepared to cover home on potential plays at the plate.

Offensive Game Plan

• Pull-side power can play especially well at Barrick Field. Right-handed hitters have 315 feet to left and left-handed hitters have only 309 feet to right.
• Look for pitches that can be driven in the air to the corners rather than challenging the deeper part of center field unnecessarily.
• Gap hitters should attack the left-center and right-center alleys. Balls splitting the outfielders can still produce doubles despite the relatively compact dimensions.
• Use the entire field. Hitters who can drive outside pitches the opposite way can take advantage of the short foul-line distances.
• Hard line drives should be the priority. The dimensions provide enough reward for solid contact without forcing hitters to sell out for home runs.
• Do not rely heavily on advancing on passed balls or wild pitches. The 43-foot backstop gives the defense a better chance to recover quickly.

To see how North Salem compares to other fields in their conference, visit the CVC Quick Field Guide.