INDIANOLA — Midway through the Indianola Field Day, Dave Hord, who helped bring the event together, paused from eating a hamburger and gazed appreciatively at the sky.

It was blue. It was sunny. And the only clouds that could be seen were fluffy and non-threatening.

“This is a blessing,” Hord said. “The sun is out, the players are showing up and the music’s on the way.”

If anyone deserved the luck, it was Hord and the rest of the community members behind the Indianola Ballfield’s recent conversion from a muddy, rut-pocked field into a green-grassed wonder.

Those community members joined plenty of baseball players last Sunday for the first-ever Indianola Field Day.

Hord may have grabbed a burger and hot dog, but neither he nor any of the North Kitsap and Bainbridge baseball players had much time to rest.

There were five events, from speed and accuracy pitch to infield, to be judged. There was a fly-ball machine to be run. And later in the day, two North Kitsap Little League-age teams matched themselves against a pair of Bainbridge Island squads.

Players who showed up to the field could participate in the events, which included speed and accuracy pitch — where their throws were measured by a radar gun — fly ball on the run and long throw, infield competition, and, later in the afternoon a home run derby.

Andrew Smith of the Kingston Knights tried his hand at several events, but was proudest of the timed run to first base.

“I like running,” he said, moments before trying his hand at the speed and accuracy pitch. “I want to do track because I’m really fast.”

Terry Norris, who plays for North Kitsap Fire and Rescue, liked the speed-pitch event, and the day overall.

“It’s really good,” he said. “It’s fun.”

After the events were done, the day featured games between the Kingston Knights and the Hurling Hawks of Bainbridge Island, a U-11 team.

The second game was between North Kitsap’s Running Rebel Dogs and Hurling Hawks U-12 team.

Before the games started, adults used the fly-ball machine to fire lobs into the air. Kids lined up at the concessions stands. Bluegrass musicians tuned up in the background.

Hord was busy with 2002’s Indianola Field Day. (He was called away from his hamburger several times.) But he was also thinking about next year’s, which he hopes draws more kids, more events … more of everything.

“Next year,” he said, “is going to be even better.”