By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - Kings High School home baseball games will probably be played at Crosley Field in Blue Ash's Sports Complex and at the Midland Co.'s fields in Amelia.

It is the second time in four months school officials are faced with moving home athletic events since lead contamination was found last August at the Columbia Road junior/senior high school complex.

Earlier this week it was announced that cleanup of the contamination will likely begin in February and is expected to take at least four months to complete. That would make the fields unusable through most of the spring sports season.

"We've accepted the fact that we're not going to be able to play there,'' said Matthew Koenig, King's athletic director.

Football games were moved to nearby Galbraith Field after school officials closed the stadium, some fields and an area near the junior high entrance.

Koenig said he's working out the details of which varsity baseball games will be played at each field.

Junior varsity and freshmen baseball games will move to fields at Kings Mills Elementary School or to Landen-Deerfield Park fields if conflicts arise. Practices for all baseball teams will also be at Kings Mills Elementary School.

Softball games will move to the field behind the Kings Educational Center.

"Track is the most challenging (to schedule),'' Koenig said, "because we don't know exactly where things are going with the cleanup. We have managed to work out a deal with Mason High School to host two invitational track meets in May.''

Not yet certain is where the track team would practice, other than a grassy field near the high school which has not been closed, Koenig said. Practices for all three teams begin March 8 and games follow a few weeks later.

E-mail suek@infionline.net