In northwest Indianapolis as of 8:00 PM Sunday the snow amounts are already 3 1/2 inches, with the worst to come:
So, the question is, "How do we get our baseball and softball fields ready for play?" The answer really depends on the type of infield mix and the maintenance and condition of the field before the snow.
First, DO NOT get in a hurry to play. I understand that the season in short and the doubleheaders are mounting up, but is it really worth compromising the grade of your field to get in one game? There are at least 2 more months of play for high school baseball in Indiana. Remember, never compromise the grade of your field for one game!
If the decision is made to plow the field, take the necessary precautions. HERE is an article from the Sports Turf Managers Association on removing snow from athletic fields.
Once the snow has cleared/melted, most infields should be rolled from the snow event. To determine if the field can be rolled, simply walk across the surface, if the field settled under foot, but does not stick the bottom of you shoe, it can be rolled.
Infield ready to roll:
Infield NOT ready to roll:
If the field has not been conditioned, please take this time after rolling to condition the infield. How much conditioner should be added? Click HERE to see the correct depth of conditioners.
Finally, this is another time where there is tremendous benefit of using an engineered soil as your infield mix.
Once again, don't panic, it is a long season. It won't be long until we see weather conditions like this:
Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.
Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer
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