SportsTurf

March 2014

SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.

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www.sportsturfonline.com 42 SportsTurf | March 2014 KOBS FIELD, MCLANE BASEBALL STADIUM, Michigan State University, East Lansing Level of Submission: College Category of Submission: Baseball Sports Turf Managers: Jared Knoodle, CSFM and Amy Fouty, CSFM Title: Jared: Groundskeeper; Amy: Athletic Turf Manager Education: Jared: BS in turfgrass management; Amy: 2-year degree, turfgrass management Experience: Jared: I have worked in the sports turf industry since 2006. As a student at MSU I worked 3 of 4 years on campus on athletic fields at MSU. I was involved in the renovations of the baseball, softball, and soccer field while I was a student. As a student I went on an internship working for the San Francisco Giants. I was hired full time the next year and I spent 3 seasons as an assistant groundskeeper. I then spent a summer at Comerica Park working for the Detroit Tigers as a member on the grounds crew. Currently I have been working back at MSU as a Groundskeeper 1 since January 2012. I manage the daily operations of the Old College Field Complex on campus. Amy: I have been a sports turf manager for 15 years: 5 years at the University of Michigan in charge of daily field operations for football and soccer, and 10 years at Michigan State in charge of athletic field manage- ment and field construction for the athletic department. Staff: We do not have staff that is just dedicated to the field. Jared is a seasonal groundskeeper who handles daily operations at our Old College field com- plex from March 1 through November 31. We have an- other seasonal staff person who assists Jared on baseball softball, soccer, and general grounds during that same time frame 40 hours per week as well, Marc Novicki. His responsibilities center on the soccer and grounds portion of the complex; Jared primarily han- dles softball and baseball. Each year we have two sports turf management interns from our turfgrass management program at MSU. This year Tom Ellis, 2 year turf, and Evan Rogers, 4 year turf, worked with Jared and Marc from March 1 through November 31 at the complex part time during the school year and 40 hours a week during the summer. In addition to this staff we have two student-athletes who work part time in the sum- mer at the complex. These are typically baseball, softball, track, or soccer student-athletes. We have staff scheduled 258 days a year for the Old College field complex. Original construction: The site of Kobs Field was originally purchased by Michigan State's Board of Agri- culture in 1900 for $1,137.50. Kobs Field was dedicated in 1969 to John Herman Kobs, who served as head coach at Michigan State for 39 seasons (1925-63). Turfgrass variety: Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, annual bluegrass. Rootzone composition: Sandy loam native soil; 75% sand.

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