BEDFORD — On May 11, Bedford High School’s varsity baseball team unveiled its new portable press box, crafted by students from Shawsheen Valley Technical School’s welding program.
The press box made its debut during the team’s Military Appreciation Game against Concord. Designed to accommodate announcers, the official scorer, and sound equipment, this innovative structure resulted from a collaborative project between Shawsheen Tech and Bedford High School Athletics.
The concept for the press box originated from Bedford’s varsity coach Geoff Chase and assistant coach Paul McGrath, who identified the need for a flexible game-day solution. Chase, in his first year coaching the varsity team after previously coaching at John Glenn Middle School, aimed to enhance the game experience with this addition.
“I wanted to make some improvements and add a little more fun and entertainment,” said Chase. “We want to have longtime Bedford Football announcer Mike Rosenberg announce the baseball games and needed a press box area for him; we immediately thought Shawsheen could help us with this project.”
Chase collaborated with Alex Guarino, lead welding instructor at Shawsheen Tech, to design and build the rolling portable press box.
“Students began working on the project in early February,” said Guarino. “Those who completed their curriculum projects ahead of schedule were able to contribute to the press box. The final product was ready for transport on May 1.”
Guarino mentioned three primary contributors to the project: senior Joe DeRosa from Burlington, junior Tyler LaMarca from Billerica, and sophomore Brayden Johnson from Billerica.
“The press box was constructed entirely from aluminum to minimize weight,” said Guarino. “It features a foundation built on 4” x 4” tubing with 50 psi pneumatic casters. The standing platform includes a bracing system with slip-resistant 1/8” diamond plate. The sides and railings were made from 2” x 2” aluminum tube and 1” x 1” tube for pickets, while the front and roof panels were crafted from .030 aluminum sheet metal.
“This project provided students with valuable practice using our new horizontal bandsaw, with all pieces initially cut on this machine,” Guarino continued. “The pieces were then welded using AC GTAW (Alternating Current Gas Tungsten Arc Welding).”
Once structurally sound, Shawsheen’s graphic communications program added the final touch by printing Bedford’s logo onto a weatherproof wrap decal, giving the press box a professional and resilient finish.
This collaboration between Bedford High School and Shawsheen Techn offered Shawsheen students a real application for their Chapter 74 curriculum, highlighting Shawsheen’s dedication to preparing students for the competitive world.
“Alex and Shawsheen’s Welding Department were fantastic, and the final product came out great,” said Chase. “We hope to continue our relationship with Shawsheen as we have many other projects we hope to bring to fruition.”