As the rain came down Monday afternoon on J.C. Love Field, Louisiana Tech baseball coach Greg Goff sat in his truck and ate lunch as he looked on in amazement at the Bulldogs' new field.

There was no tarp on the field. He didn't have to put Diamond Dry, a product used to help absorb water, on the dirt. And even if it wasn't raining, Goff wouldn't have to worry about mowing the field for Tuesday's home opener against Little Rock.

None of those things had to cross his mind because Tech has a new turf field that will be unveiled for the first time this week during the Bulldogs' five-game homestand.

The field, which is all turf — infield and outfield — except for a dirt pitcher's mound, is part of a $1.2 million upgrade to the baseball and softball complexes. The Lady Techsters debuted their new all-turf field this past weekend in a 14-game tournament.

"I was absolutely shocked with how it turned out," Goff told The News-Star on Monday. "I knew it would be nice but to actually see the stripes and to walk out there on it, I was absolutely amazed."

The project, which started in the fall and was done by January, was funded privately as a way to raise the profile of the programs. More specifically, it will save time, money and resources.

Goff, who is in his second year at Tech, estimated he spent two to three hours a day last year mowing the grass, edging the field and dragging the infield dirt.

It took him 90 minutes alone to cut the entire field once a day. On the weekends, he'd get to the field at 9 a.m. to cut the field for a 1 p.m. game while his staff painted the bases.

In total, that's upwards of 20 hours a week. And that's not even including time spent watering the infield, a chore done several times on game days.

"It's a life-changer. I get to see my family a little bit more. I get to do scouting reports," Goff said. "All of things that were always 'I had to get to, I had to get to.' I was up here late at night, and now I can cut some of that off."

None of that is needed anymore, and that is even music to the ears of the players who would rake the field and tarp the mound after games.

"We all love it," Tech senior Taylor Love said.

The only maintenance is toward the pitcher's mound and covering it up after games. Once a week, a device is used to go over the turf to keep the wear and tear down.

"There is a savings there where we're not trying come up with periodically throughout the year with funds to either buy new dirt or fertilizer or chemicals to help with the grass," said Adam McGuirt, who is Tech's associate athletic director for internal operations.

Goff likes to think of himself as a traditional natural grass coach, so the idea of a turf field was foreign to him when supporters of the program came to him in the fall and asked his opinion about a possible upgrade.

His stance changed the more he thought about it.

"When I retired my lawn mower," Goff said laughing in response to a question about when he was sold on the new field. "And when I could put more time off the field with recruiting and communicating with coaches and more community service, I realized how big of a difference it could make for us.

"Just very thankful because I love it. It's a game-changer for us now. It's been a tremendous asset for our program."

McGuirt's initial thought was to see if the turf would be a good fit for Tech. As he explored it, the positives started to mount.

As Goff explained, time and money spent on maintenance would be minimized, the field would allow for true, even playing surface and, of course, the weather aspect.

McGuirt knows the impact weather can have all too well. He spent numerous days and nights in 2015 glued to his phone to check weather radars. Tech had seven games either postponed or canceled due to weather.

In theory, the turf field, equipped with a drainage system, will allow Tech to play even in rainy conditions barring any severe weather with torrential rain or lightning. Right off the bat, Tech may have to combat severe weather for Tuesday's game.

"It removes the opportunity for not being able to compete or practice," McGuirt said. "Last year was a trying year for everybody determining when do we clear the field, when do we tarp. Those things don't come into play anymore.

"After a heavy rain there might be some maintenance to do as far as getting it ready but it will be very minimal."

As far as impact on the game, Love said the adjustment period has included learning how to slide on the slicker surface. When the field is wet, players have to slide even earlier.

He also noted how the field plays slower than normal.

"We had a pretty fast infield before. I thought it was one of the fastest fields I've played on," he said. "(Now) the infielders are getting to all the balls."

Goff still has some days where he walks out on the field and tells himself "it really doesn't seem fair" in regards to the impact of the turf field.

"That's how I feel some days at practice, thinking is this real? Are we getting to practice on this turf?" he said.

Tech plans to use both the softball and baseball facilities for high school tournaments. Byrd High School and Neville High School had a game scheduled for Monday night.

In the past, a quick turn like Monday to Tuesday's home opener would have meant more time to get the field ready. Now, all Tech has to do is tarp the mound.

To Goff and McGuirt, the extra benefits make the turf more than worth it.

"It's a great recruiting tool in that kids get exposed to our area and our campus as well as our community," McGuirt said. "You bring different events to the community and it helps out local businesses. It brings more people here and that's hotel rooms, restaurants and point of sale opportunities."

 

Source : thenewsstar.com

 

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