FieldTurf
DoublePlay
Baseball
Tradition
Meets
Innovation
DOUBLEPLAY
FieldTurf Baseball
THE INDUSTRY LEADER
FieldTurf Baseball
For years, FieldTurf has been a leader in baseball. FieldTurf paved the way
with the first professional installation, the first college installation, hosting
championship games and the World Baseball Classic. Our reference list is a
who’s who of the baseball world – but like Ruth, Mantle, Williams, and Ripken
before us – we are changing the way the game is played – AGAIN.
FieldTurf is far and away the industry leader in artificial turf systems designed
specifically for baseball – at all levels of competition. What better proof than the
reduction of error rates? Many Division I baseball programs have reported a
reduction of up to 50% in fielding errors after switching to FieldTurf because of
the system’s proven ball bounce and ball speed characteristics emulating the
best natural diamonds in the world.
FieldTurf’s baseball product innovations are geared towards providing the most
grass-like baseball-specific systems in the world today and ensuring that the final
product and pace of play is tailored to the needs of our clients – instead of teams
adjusting to a standard surface specification. All FieldTurf baseball fields are
“Coach Approved” before the installation is complete.
Who’s Playing Ball on FieldTurf?
Here is a small sample of some of the high-profile organizations that chose FieldTurf for baseball:
Air Force Academy
Appalachian State University
n Bucknell University
n Columbia University
n Cornell University
n Creighton University
n Dartmouth College
n DePaul University
n Fairleigh Dickinson University
n George Mason University
Indiana State University
James Madison University
n Kent State University
n Naval Academy
n Oregon State University
n Rutgers University
n Santa Clara University
n Seton Hall University
n Stony Brook University
n Texas Tech University
Tokyo Giants
Tulane University
n University of Central Florida
n University of Cincinnati
n University of Illinois
n University of Louisville
n University of Maine
n University of Michigan
n University of Minnesota
n University of Nevada
University of North Dakota
University of Oregon
n University of Pittsburgh
n University of Rhode Island
n University of Texas at Austin
n University of Washington
n Washington State University
n Yale University
n Yokohama Bay Stars
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Testimonials
FieldTurf Baseball Turf Firsts
n
First infilled turf system to host a World Series
n
First infilled turf system installed in an MLB stadium
n
First infilled turf selected for a college stadium
n
First infilled turf to host the World Baseball Classic
n
First infilled turf used for an NCAA D-I Baseball Tournament
“We have had our FieldTurf field for five years now
and it has performed above our expectations from the
very beginning. FieldTurf is working out great for us.
Our players really like it. We get a lot of consistent play
from the surface. A FieldTurf surface is a plus for any
field, but it is especially beneficial where the weather
has many changes.”
“Our program installed FieldTurf in 2009 – much to the delight of
our players and coaches. It is the ultimate surface for consistent
ball performance and having a realistic ground ball speed. The
durability and grass-like appearance of FieldTurf is out of this
world. It seems like the more we use it, the better it gets. Knowing
that FieldTurf is the world’s leading baseball surface innovator
made our decision an easy one.”
Fred Hill,
Head Baseball Coach, Rutgers University
George Horton,
Head Baseball Coach, University of Oregon
“We have played on FieldTurf for seven years now and
I can honestly say that it continues to perform better
than natural grass and other newer synthetic fields we
play on when we visit other schools. The ball bounce,
ball roll, and consistency of the ground balls has led to
a very significant reduction in error rates for our teams
over the years.”
“I just wanted to express how much we enjoyed playing on our
new FieldTurf infield this season. The way the field is striped
looks great and we can match it with our outfield grass striping.
Everyone we played commented on how nice it looked and how
well it played. The special installation procedure made it play a
little faster. This is exactly what we wanted. I’ve played on several
FieldTurf fields before and all play well. With the specific product
and installation used on our field, I believe it is the best I’ve seen!”
Scott Stricklin,
Head Baseball Coach, Kent State University
[2]
Oregon State University
University of Louisville
University of Illinois
Rick Heller,
Head Baseball Coach, Indiana State University
Washington State University
[3]
FieldTurf Baseball
The launch of FieldTurf’s DoublePlay baseball systems signify the greatest
technological advancement to baseball surfacing in decades. FieldTurf
combines the beneficial biomechanical properties of natural grass, with the
best attributes of a durable synthetic system - all weather playability, low
maintenance, safety and high performance.
PURE INNOVATION
FieldTurf Baseball Innovations
FieldTurf’s innovations are geared towards providing the most grass-like baseballspecific system in the world, ensuring that the final product is tailored to the
requirements of each individual organization. The desire to provide athletes the
most grass-like experience is a big reason why baseball programs at all levels
choose FieldTurf.
Tuning the Speed of Play
Coach Approved
FieldTurf offers its clients the ability to ‘tune’ the speed of play of the infield
and outfield depending on preference – slow, medium, or fast. The speed of
play is mainly set through the use of specific infill materials, infill depth, and the
underlying base material. All of these components are tailor-made to our clients’
preference for pace of play. The most important part of ensuring that our clients
have what they want in terms of speed is ensuring the right turf product is
installed over a proper underlying base. Simple maintenance can help adjust the
speed of play after installation.
FieldTurf wants to ensure that coaches have a chance to validate the
performance of the surface during the installation. This is our way of
ensuring that the field is tailored to the speed and performance that a
specific program is accustomed to.
Natural Grass Aesthetics
FieldTurf baseball fields use colored infill to match the color of a natural
field and the turf installed. In green areas, the infill will be dirt-colored.
In rust areas, the infill will be rust-colored. Should the basepaths need
to be a tan color, the infill will be tan-colored. This is done to emulate
the aesthetic value of the very best natural grass ball fields.
Natural Grass Playability
A taller fiber blade height is used for all green-colored areas on the baseball
field – outfield, foul areas, and green infield area. A slightly shorter fiber blade
height is used for all basepath areas. This small fiber height difference allows for a
perfect replication of what the grass and clay area transitions of natural ball fields
look like. This is all relative to the overall speed desired from the surface. Slow,
Medium, or Fast. Most artificial turf baseball fields come with one fiber height for
the entire infield and one fiber height for the entire outfield. This does not replicate
natural grass performance as accurately as the FieldTurf system.
An ExtraBase Hit
FieldTurf’s ‘ExtraBase’ program ensures that the high wear areas on
any of our baseball fields are taken care of for the long-term. FieldTurf
offers its clients the option of having either removable or serviced
replacement home plate and base areas so that the replacement of
these high-traffic areas can be done periodically as a ‘do-it-yourself’
option, with easy fastening and removal methods, or by one of
FieldTurf’s experienced local installation crews. For either option,
FieldTurf will provide 4 sets of base area turf cutouts. This ensures that
our clients have easy and reliable options to guarantee that the high
wear areas of the field keep playing and looking their very best.
Warning Track Technology
FieldTurf warning tracks are installed with a special and durable lavarock infill to
ensure there is a distinct and clear difference in feel and sound when tracking a
ball near the fence. This ensures definitive identification of the warning track area
without having to look down.
[4]
Cornell University
Naval Academy
Tulane University
Kent State University
[5]
DoublePlay Systems
FieldTurf Baseball
FieldTurf DoublePlay Classic
TUNED PERFORMANCE
The DoublePlay Classic baseball system was designed to perform like grass –
and has been doing so for two decades. The DoublePlay Classic system is ideal
for clients looking for a slower grass-like ball pace. Featuring fibers that have
been designed to be the most durable in the industry, the system is built with
the patented FieldTurf silica sand and SBR rubber infill for familiar and proven
performance. The DoublePlay Classic system has been installed on over 25
NCAA D-I game fields and over 300 baseball fields worldwide.
Location
Pile Height
Infill Height
Infill Composition
Base Paths
2”
1.25”
6.25 lbs - Silica Sand/SBR Rubber
Infield / Outfield
2”
1.25”
6.25 lbs - Silica Sand/SBR Rubber
FieldTurf DoublePlay
The DoublePlay baseball system mirrors the performance delivered by the very
best natural grass fields and provides unmatched durability, while providing
clients with a fast ball pace. Featuring fibers that have been designed to be the
most durable in the industry, the system is built with silica sand and SBR rubber
infill materials for familiar and proven performance. This type of infill configuration
has been installed on more NCAA D-I game fields and baseball fields worldwide
than any competing system.
Location
Pile Height
Infill Height
Infill Composition
Base Paths
1.57”
0.8”
3.75 lbs - Silica Sand/SBR Rubber
Infield / Outfield
1.75”
0.8”
3.75 lbs - Silica Sand/SBR Rubber
Your Field. Your Way.
Why should we tell you how you want your field to play? Tell us how you want your
field to look and play and we will design it to your specifications. Whether you want
a fast field or a slow field, we can tune our system to meet your needs. Really want
to learn the science behind how the systems work? We’ll take you to the Sports
Surface Research Center at Penn State and we can tune your system there.
COR Testing
Baseball ball pace is measured using the PennBounce apparatus, designed by Penn
State University, in order to accurately generate a field’s Coefficient of Restitution
(COR) value. The COR is defined as a ratio of two velocities: the velocity of a
baseball after impact with the surface divided by the velocity of the ball prior to
impact. The COR value is the only way to accurately measure and compare baseball
ball speed levels on different types of surfaces.
The higher the COR value, the faster the surface.
FieldTurf DoublePlay Laser
The DoublePlay Laser baseball system is a revolutionary new product that
stemmed from years of baseball research and testing. The turf system is
comprised of fibers that have been designed to be some of the most durable
and player-friendly artificial grass blades in the industry. The infill system features
specially sized and engineered Flexsand granules designed specifically for
baseball and exclusive to FieldTurf. Combined with SBR rubber, this special
baseball infill mix has created the fastest player-friendly baseball artificial turf
system in the world today.
Location
Pile Height
Infill Height
Infill Composition
Base Paths
1.57”
0.8”
3.2 lbs - Flexsand/SBR Rubber
Infield / Outfield
1.75”
0.8”
3.2 lbs - Flexsand/SBR Rubber
Studies have shown that infill depth, infill composition, and the underlying base are
the main items that affect COR in an artificial turf system.
Penn State Comparative Testing
Coefficient of Restitution
0.575
In an effort to chase the perfect baseball
surface, Penn State tested over 20
different surfaces, including natural grass
and the top competitive artificial turf
surfaces. The objective was to find which
surfaces delivered fast, medium, and slow
ball pace performance. Here is a snapshot
of the results.
Texas Tech University
f
University of Texas
er
0.565
ur
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iel
F
u
Do
L
lay
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y
0.563
nd
Pla
as
Fiber System
[6]
0.572
0.550
0.516
0.506
0.491
0.485
0.316
ble
When it comes to baseball, FieldTurf recommends our “slit-film” fibers. The slitfilm fiber blades are ideal for baseball simply because of their proven durability
and ability to encapsulate infill.
The PennBounce apparatus effectively measures the
pace of baseball field playing surfaces.
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*Data taken from an NCAA Division I game field.
University of Oregon
Rutgers University
[7]
Tradition Meets Innovation.
Information
(800) 724-2969
[email protected]
www.fieldturf.com