SportsTurf

22 SportsTurf | May 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com FIELD SCIENCE many rainstorms that would occur over the fall and winter months. The field was origi- nally built on native red clay and silt, and the entire infield areas that had been stripped turned into an unworkable material that stalled the work schedule behind another week. At this point, a month of progress would have to be made up for the project to be completed on time for open- ing day January 29. The playing surface sits 100 feet below surrounding areas in a natural bowl layout. Therefore, all water from the upper elevations was run- ning directly onto the playing surface. It seemed things would never dry out and present workable conditions again. Soil had to be removed, stockpiled, dried, and then replaced over and over. One of the most critical tasks to be completed was installing the Tifway 419 bermudag- rass. Normally, bermudagrass should be installed no later than mid-October for it to take root and thrive for the follow- ing spring. However, this would not take place until the second week in December, very late in the year to be installing bermu- dagrass and expecting it to root. However, Mother Nature helped out and the turf began to stabilize and intact within the soil. Addition ryegrass was seeded to enhance the stabilization and spring color. Additional work still had to be completed before the remainder of the sod could be installed which meant more delays and risk of putting opening day in jeopardy. The main concern and issue that was causing a major delay was the saturation of the soil. Once the normal, seasonal temperatures returned, so did the freeze and thaw effect. The soil was firm when it was frozen, but became unworkable during the day once thawing started to occur. Precise grading was most challenging and almost impossible. Little by little, grading was completed and all sod was installed. Freezing and thawing continued throughout the month of January and foul territory was very "pumpy" and unstable. The team had to start using the field for workouts 3 weeks before the season began. Coach Paul Rozzelle was very concerned with the safety of his players and opposing teams. Special rolling tech- niques were used to firm the soil and to level the turf after each use and practice until freezing and thawing were no longer an issue. Three-quarter inch thick plywood was used to cover the turf and a 1-ton roller was driven over the plywood to balance the down force over the surface. The procedure was performed several times until favorable weather condi- tions returned so the soil and sod didn't pump. Opening day was rapidly approaching and there were many tasks that still had to be completed. Unfortu- nately, a decision was made to delay the opening day for 2 weeks so everything could be completed. Pat Underhill of UDC Sports worked tire- lessly to ensure all amenities were completed. Foul poles, large scoreboard, backstop netting, hillside tarp covers, windscreen covering, and the indoor hitting facility were all installed by Underhill and his crew within 10 days. The delayed opening day finally occurred February 27 against Louisburg College with doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday. Underhill had worked nearly around the clock with challenges from the weather to make sure that the facility would be ready, and I assisted on the playing field portion of the project. Former players from the past 5 decades who had played at the facility were invited to come and see the facility and take in the first games on the newly renovated field. All of the attendees could certainly see a major difference in the field and were very pleased with the success of the project. CVCC will continue to perform upgrades on the facility to make it a first-class venue for baseball and other events that are held in coordination with the Catawba County Fair Association. Baseball In The Valley will continue to grow and be suc- cessful well into the future due to a lot of local talent that is available within a 50-mile radius and with one local high school program being ranked nationally over the past few years. Such stars like Madison Bumgarner, Brian Harvey, Bob Patterson, and many other former big leaguers call the valley their home and are returning the gift of baseball back to the community. Steve Peeler, CSFM, is sports turf instructor for Catawba Valley Community College, Hickory, NC.

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