Infield Renovation at Notre Dame - Vol II

As promised, here are a few more photos of the infield renovation at the University of Notre Dame.

The finished product at the end of the day yesterday.

A before and after photo from the mound renovation.  Notice the board being used to ensure the sides of the mound are on grade.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Infield Renovation at Notre Dame

The J&D Turf crew partnered with Bush Turf to renovate the infield turf and Frank Eck Stadium at the University of Notre Dame.

The goals were simple:

1. Remove the existing sod and laser grade rootzone
2. Install new sod
3. Renovate mound and plate
4. Add 25 tons of Dura Edge Pro to the infield and laser grade

Here are a number of photos of the project:

Removing the existing sod:

Getting ready to grade the rootzone:

Installing the new sod:

Adding Dura Edge Pro:

Thanks to Dan Brazo and his crew at the University of Notre Dame.   Look for additional finished photos tomorrow.

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

Play on!

--Jamie

@JamieMehringer

Leveling Baseball Field Baselines - Notre Dame

This past week, the J&D Turf team spent the week in South Bend, IN.  The task was to renovate the baseball infield at Frank Eck Stadium, add Dura Edge Pro to the infield and baselines and renovate the mound and plate.  Look for a post of the renovation work at the stadium later this week.  I wanted to also share a couple of photos on leveling the baselines.  This leveling process will work on any baseball surface.  Keep in mind, if leveling with a board, address all "lips" before grading.

With that said, here is the process that took place at Notre Dame.

First, edge the sod to create clean edges.  (at this stage you would want to address any "lips" as well).  Then, add infield mix to the baselines and using a 2x4 screed board level the next material.

Next, till the new material into the existing material.  Ideally, the tilling depth is 3-4 inches.  In this example, Dura Edge Pro was added/tilled to existing Dura Edge Pro baselines.

Then, re-screed the tilled material.

Using a 3 ton dual drum roller, roll the baselines.

Finally, add conditioner and drag.

This entire project for both baselines took approx. 3 hours.

Now the baselines are level and create smooth transitions between the turf and the infield mix.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Brick Dust for an Infield Mix?

Using crushed brick for an infield mix was a practice that was used across the Midwest for a number of years in the 1990 - 2005 window.  The J&D Turf team renovates at least 1-2 fields a year that have brick dust as an infield mix.

First, let's discuss crushed brick.  Brick dust is simply crushed brick.  So, the lack of sand/silt/clay make the material very mobile and dusty in dry weather.  Where did this material come from?  My guess is a number of things:

1. The cost - in the housing boom crushed brick was easy to find at a low price point - that is not the case today
2. The color - the bright red color was visually appealing
3. Ease of installation - just throw if down on top of the existing material

So, what is the issue?  Simply, the material was initially used as a topdressing, but as load after load was installed through the years more than 2 inches of this material was installed.  This would not be unlike attempting to play on 2 inches of calcined or vitrified clay.  After a rain event, it is not uncommon to see a brick dust infield look like the one below:

 

As you can see from the photos, the high traffic areas (around the bases) are extremely low.  Material has been pushed to the edges from dragging and the ensure smooth edges.  So, what is the solution?  FieldSaver50.  Click HERE to see the blog link on renovating a brick dust infield.

In the future, brick dust has a use on warning tracks where more vertical drainage and a softer surface is desired.  The other question I get is, "Can I use it as a topdressing?"  My answer, no, there are other conditioners that will provide the red color without breaking down, turing into a powder, and staining unifroms.  The best product to achieve the look of brick dust, without breaking down is expanded shale/vitrified clay.  Diamond Pro is a great source for this material.

Let's turn the page, and stop using brick dust as an infield mix.

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

--Jamie

@JamieMehringer

A Good Way to Construct a Softball Bullpen

I wanted to share a photo of a bullpen from a field I visited last week.

This bullpen at the University of Indianapolis utilizes 4x4 lumber to edge the bullpen.  Consider using this on bullpens for both baseball and softball.  It provides a good edge to work off of to keep grass out of bullpen areas.  Also, when the time comes to add material to the area, a board can be used to pull along the lumber to ensure a smooth area in a similar fashion as adding materials to baselines as shown below:

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

What Type of Grass is That?

I was posed that question yesterday while making a site visit for a future project.  Here is a photo of the field:

The answer - The green turf is a tall fescue blend.  The brown turf is a combination of crabgrass and goosegrass.  This site had 2 frost events in the last 2 weeks.  Thus, the crabgrass and goosegrass is turning off color.  How much cragbrass is our your field?  Maybe a crabgrass preventer is warranted in '13.

To learn more about crabgrass, click HERE to see an article from SportsField Management Magazine.

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

Play on!
--Jamie

Creating a In-Season Divot Mix

I get this question a number of times during my travels?  How do handle the bare areas on my field?

This is a major problem on cool season athletic fields.  All it takes is a simple blend of 2-3 products.

First, place topsoil and if you have it available, peat on the grounds shop floor.

Next, add seed at a rate equal to the soil/peat blend.  Yes, I know this is a lot of seed, but being aggressive with seeding rates are critical in high traffic areas.

Blend all the materials together with a shovel and place in a bucket.

Finally, place in the bare area.  Using some type of aerification before seeding is the best approach.  In this case, a pitch fork provided the aerification.

Creating a seed bank in cool season athletic fields are critical to achieving 100% cover.  Don't be afraid to seed frequently.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer