Durham N.C. (September 3, 2010) - The transformation has begun at Duke University’s Jack Coombs Field to replace the natural grass field with a new, state-of-the-art AstroTurf® surface.
Duke is joining the current trend that many other baseball teams are moving toward. In fact, AstroTurf® has installed a field for the Toronto Blue Jays this year and is The Official Turf for Major League Baseball. Wake Forest University is also in the process of installing a new AstroTurf® field.
The Blue Devils made the decision to replace the natural grass field with AstroTurf® to prevent future problems with drainage, to require less maintenance and provide a better playing surface.
After five years of mostly dry weather, the issue finally came to the surface, resulting in a need for additional options.
“This past winter and spring brought many drainage problems with the rain and cold temperatures,” explained Brad Berndt, Baseball Administrator and Associate Athletic Director. “The field became unplayable with just a trace of rain and we had to move and reschedule practices and games.”
After narrowing it down to three synthetic surface companies, Duke selected AstroTurf®.
“AstroTurf® made us feel like we were an individual client instead of a number,” said Berndt. “AstroTurf® was the most receptive and responsive to what we needed for our field, including the timeline we had to complete the project.”
For many of the players on the Duke University baseball team, it will not be the first time they have stepped foot on an AstroTurf® field.
“Some players from the current team have already played on synthetic turf and have had nothing but positive reactions,” said Berndt.
AstroTurf® will give Duke all the benefits that they were seeking, including year round playability, low maintenance and better drainage.
In addition, Duke hopes to gain a competitive advantage with a new field worthy of a championship team.
The new Jack Coombs Field will be AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ 3D60H. The Horseshoe fiber in the field is a stronger, more durable fiber. The field will also include nylon RootZone® fibers which help to decrease infill migration over time. GameDay Grass™ provides a safer, more consistent surface and has been found by a study at Michigan State University to perform most like real grass.
Construction is now underway, with a completion date of October 27th.
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