Infield Drainage for Baseball and Softball Fields Along the Back Arc

Infield drainage is typically a topic for discussion anytime I give a presentation on infield mixes, grades, etc.  So, when the J&D Turf team was tasked to remedy an infield drainage issue at University of Indianapolis, Tom Mahaney and Steve Berg chronicled their work with photos.

Before we get to the photos,  lets lay out a couple of items in regards to infield drainage:

1. Do NOT install drain tiles under the infield mix.  The infield mix should be engineered and maintained to eliminate downward movement (percolation) of water.  All water during rain events should run off the infield.
2. Due to item #1, positive surface drainage must be achieved on ALL infields.  For baseball and softball, surface drainage should be between .5% and 1%.  Keep in mind, if a softball field does not have sod in front of dugouts, surface drainage should be NO MORE than .5%.  Does your infield conditioner run off your infield?  Chances are, the infield has surface drainage exceeding the limits listed above.
3. Purchase and manage a good infield mix.  Be careful when purchasing infield mix!  To learn more about infield mixes, click HERE and HERE.

So, lets explain what the existing conditioners were at Baumgartner Field at University of Indianapolis:

1. Native soil.
2. Due to existing topography, the grade falls from the RF foul pole to the 3rd base dugout.
3. Bluegrass/Ryegrass surface
4. Infield Mix - Dura Edge Classic 
5. Conditioner - Diamond Pro Professional Calcined Clay
6. Mound Clay - Dura Pitch Mound Clay 
7. During rain events, water would run from RF under the tarp and become trapped.

The solution:

Install a six inch wide trench:

Next, installation of a 4 inch perforated drain tile and 6 inches of USGA drainage gravel.

Then, installation of 6 inches of USGA rootzone sand all the way to the surface.  Then the existing sod was re-installed.  DO NOT seal off drain tiles by placing native soil over drainage gravel.

Finally, an edger was used to run across the trench/slit and expose 3 inches of the sand.  The bluegrass will grow into the sand.

The location of the drain tile while the tarp is on the field.

Lastly, the field ready for play the day after installation.

Mission accomplished!

Best of luck to the Lady Greyhounds as they begin the road to the D-II College World Series.

Click HERE to learn more about Dura Edge Classic and Dura Pitch Mound Clay.

Click HERE to learn more about Diamond Pro Professional Calcined Clay.

Click HERE to learn more about UIndy softball

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!

--Jamie

@JamieMehringer 

Should I Overseed My Patriot Bermudagrass Field?

The answer to that question is up to the user and the grounds staff.  Here are two photos taken on Thursday and Friday this week.  The first photo is from the Colts Training Camp fields in Anderson, IN at Anderson University.  This was not overseeded in the fall.

The greener plants in the upper left of the photo are some "volunteer" annual ryegrass.  This field will be cleaned up with a Katana spray in the next 7 days.

Next, a photo of the Colts practice facility field at the Colts Complex off of west 56th St.

This Patriot bermudagrass field was overseeded with Barenbrug Turf Star Elite Ryegrass at a rate of 20 lbs per 1,000 sq ft.  The ryegrass overseeding will stay until the completion of mini-camp in mid June.  At that time, a Revolver application will be applied and then it is back to bermuda and growing the field in for the start of practice after the conclusion of training camp.

So, overseeding is up to the end user and the grounds staff.  Both fields are playable, but one is obviously a bit greener.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Youth Mound - Cutout Completed

I wanted to post a final photo of the mound and the tearshape cutout at Lafayette Youth Baseball.  Here are the before and after photos:

The fields are designed to host pitchers from 48 and 53 ft.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Removing Infield Lips Via a Sod Cutter

The J&D Turf crew was back in Lafayette today.  After edging the three fields late last week, the next task was to remove the remaining lips.  This was accomplished the old fashioned way using a sod cutter.  Here are a few photos:

Removing the sod with a sod cutter:

Removing the sod:

Next, remove the infield mix under the lip with a box blade:

Finally, re-install the sod:

What causes lips?  Dragging practices (Too close to the edge), poor infield mixes with poor silt/clay ratios (SCR's), not edging on a frequent basis (once a month), overall excessive use of a field.

This field has an infield with a high SCR.  Wind alone causes lips, much less dragging.  Here is a photo from today.  Dragging the infield with prevailing winds of 30 mph.

The infield renovation starts tomorrow.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Riviera Bermuda in Jasper, IN

I was in Jasper, Indiana today.  I stopped by the varsity football field.  The field is riviera bermuda grass.  Here are a few shots of the field.

The bermuda is greening up nicely.  The darker green turf is from a light fall overseeding.  This field will have no problem getting back to 100% cover with an aggressive fertilizer program.

Look for additional posts on bermuda grass work this summer.  Can your field be a fit for bermuda?

To learn more about riviera bermuda grass, click HERE.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Youth Mounds - Cutouts

The first of a number of posts from a project that is taking place in Lafayette on the youth diamonds off of Union and Creasy.  The first group of photos looks at mound cutouts.   On youth diamonds, keeping a true circle is almost impossible.  If the goal is to keep a circle, sod is the best option as trying to have this area recover with seed in the offseason is difficult at best.  If the decision is to seed, use 100% ryegrass at a seed rate of 20 lbs per 1000 sq ft.  Why such a high rate?  The traffic.  Traffic will wear new seedlings at an alarming rate.  Also, seed before you start to see wear.  If you wait until you see wear, you might as well sod.  Keep a seed bank in the soil!

Here are the photos of the edging of the mound in Lafayette.  The process:  Straighten the edges out and create a teardrop wear the kids walk off the mound.

Stay tuned for more updates on this project.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!

--Jamie

@JamieMehringer

Installing a New Home Plate

Installing a new plate can be challenging.  At higher levels of play it is not uncommon to call in a surveyor to assist in aligning a new plate.  Home plate is where the entire layout of the field begins.  If the plate is off center or twisted, foul poles, bases, the mound, etc will be out of alignment.  At the college, high school and recreational levels a surveyor is not needed.  How does this work?  Let's go through it step by step:

Step 1:  Run string lines from the foul poles through the existing home plate.  Carry this string past the plate.

Step 2: Next, run a string from the apex of home plate through the middle of the pitchers rubber and the second base anchor.

Step 3:  All three strings are set, let pull out the existing plate.

As you can see, this plate was twisted slightly.  Also, make sure all sting line are tight.  Here is the completed plate.

Notice the new mound clay around the plate.  The next steps are to check the bases and the pitchers rubber for the correct distances and alignment.   That we be another post for another day.  As you can see, NEVER remove a plate without installing a new plate at the same time.

Thanks to Marian University for the assistance in replacing their plate on the softball field.

To learn more about Marian Athletics, click HERE.

Click HERE to see the proper distances for baseball and softball fields, courtesy of Diamond Pro.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!

--Jamie

@JamieMehringer 

Opening Day at Victory Field

A quick post this Saturday afternoon from last night at Victory Field.  The Indians opened the home portion of their 2012 season with a 3-2 win over the Toledo Mud Hens.  Here is a photo from last night.

Great job Joey Stevenson and his crew.  The playing surface was in great shape.

To see a recap of last night's game, click HERE.

This is a long way from January.  To see the field this past winter, click HERE.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Indians Opening Day - What's Going on at Bush Stadium?

The Indianapolis Indians open their home 2012 schedule tomorrow.  With that in mind, let's look at what is going on at the former home of the Tribe, Bush Stadium.  I took these photos last week.

Bush Stadium will become apartments in the near future.  To learn more about the project, click HERE.

To learn more about Bush Stadium, click HERE.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie

A Day in Kentucky

I made the trip to Kentucky today.  First stop, Elizabethtown Sports Park.    James Bergdoll is doing a great job overseeing the construction as it enters the final phases in regards to field construction.

A couple of photos from the baseball and softball fields:

A photo of the baseball support building

A couple of photos of the bermuda soccer fields.  Notice the soil temps around 70 degrees.

To learn more about the project, click HERE to follow a link to James’ blog


Another stop took me to Slugger Field, home of the Louisville Bats.  I visited with Tom Neilson and took a look at his bluegrass/ryegrass surface. It is in great shape and ready for the 2012 season.

To see the 2012 Bats' schedule, click HERE.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!--Jamie

Tall Fescue for Athletic Fields in Indiana?

The photos above are from a baseball infield that was sodded with tall fescue a couple of years ago.  The complaint, the turf is too bumpy, and our guys are scared to field a ground ball.  Why is this?  Click HERE to see a link from Purdue that explains why Turf Type Tall Fescue is not typically a good choice for athletic fields in Indiana.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie

The Three Critical Tools for Maintaining an Infield

Another post on infields this week.  I get the question all of the time.  "What are the best tools to maintain an infield?"  Here is a photo of three key tools.  I took this photo during the field educational day at Brandon Phillips Field last Saturday

As you can see, there is a rigid mat drag, a nail drag, and a aluminum tooth landscape rake.  Lastly, on the far left you can see the infield mix as I pulled away the conditioner.  As a rule of thumb, most high schools and parks departments keep their infields too soft.  The firmer the material the better the infield will take rain events and hold grade.  The best way to soften an infield?  Apply water.  That is the reason why having a quick coupler behind the mound is critical for infield maintenance.

To see a post on how deep to nail drag an infield, click HERE.

To see a post on how much conditioner to apply to a field, click HERE.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie

Infield Conditioners - What is the Correct Depth?

Another post on infields.  This is the second of the week.  Look for more as the week continues.  First of all, what is a conditioner?  Click HERE to find an earlier post on infield conditioners.  Ideally, conditioners should be between 1/4-1/2 inch in depth.  Please see the photo below from Brandon Phillips Field on Saturday.

This infield has a 3/8 inch depth.  This is due to a high silt infield and recreation play.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie

How Deep Should I Nail Board an Infield?

This is a question I get multiple times a month.  The simple answer, no deeper than 1/2 inch for daily maintenance.  After all, as a groundskeeper, you are attempting to maintain the top 1/4-1/2 inch during the playing season.  Please see the photo below.  This photo was taken at Brandon Phillips Field in Cincinnati on Saturday.  Using a quarter as a point of reference, this nail drag was pulled at a depth of 1/2 inch.

Look for additional posts on drags, conditioners, etc later this week.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie