February 2014 | SportsTurf 43
WHY STMA SHOULD CONSIDER YOUR FIELD A WINNER?
This softball field is home of the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Owls
and maintained by sports field management with a crew of four. Spring at
FAU is a challenge with competing schedules of NCAA Division I baseball
and softball programs. Located in south Florida, FAU is a premier location
to host collegiate invitational tournaments including the 2012 Sunbelt Con-
ference Championship tournament and upcoming 2014 Conference USA
Championship tournament. With our conference games, invitational tour-
naments, fall softball games and fall Lady Gator Softball Tournament the
field hosts 80-100 games a year. In addition to FAU daily practices, the field
is also used for two winter softball camps and as a practice facility for the
Phoenix travel softball team.
Before the 2013 season, the infield was considered hard and caused balls
to bounce high. The hard infield was a result of brick dust topdressing as it
www.stma.org
Level of Submission: College
Category
of Submission: Softball
Head Sports Turf Manager: Ken
Czerniak
Title: Sports Turf Manager
Education: High School
Experience: Worked 10 years at
the Texas Rangers spring training
facility in Port Charlotte, FL
starting as a laborer and working
to the assistant field supervisor. In
2003 became the head sports turf
manager for sports field manage-
ment taking over the supervision
of 30 acres at Florida Atlantic
University.
Full-time staff: Phillip Bathalon,
Casey Myers, and Micah Bennett
Original construction: 1999
Turfgrass
variety: Celebration
bermudagrass
Overseed: Double Eagle Blend
perennial ryegrass seeded at 7
pounds per thousand with an extra
200 pounds to spot seed position
spots and sidelines during the
months of January and February.