CINCINNATI — Rain delays and muddy baseball fields may soon be a thing of the past in college baseball.
The University of Cincinnati Bearcats are among multiple top programs using turf to beat Mother Nature at her own game.
In 2014, UC's baseball fields got a full field renovation, where turf was installed in place of the field's natural grass field — which changes how the game is played, and how weather impacts it.
Unlike grass, turf doesn’t need much sunlight, but the biggest advantage to turf is about rain.
Watch to learn why the move to turf has been beneficial for UC:
Grass fields can turn muddy fast after heavy showers, while turf drains quickly, so games stay on schedule.
UC isn’t alone in adopting turf. About two-thirds of the Big 12 teams play on turf or synthetic surfaces, mainly to avoid long weather delays and cancellations.
“We have an irrigation system that drains the field rather quickly, so if we get a really, really hard rain, I’d say probably 20 to 30 minutes after it’s done we can hop right on," Nick Engel, facilities and operations coordinator for UC, said. "If it’s a light rain, we can play through it a little bit more than if we were on dirt that absorbs the moisture a lot more. The turf, it kind of slides right off.”
Turf doesn’t just change maintenance, it changes the game. Balls move faster and take more consistent hops. UC even uses a softer infield surface designed to play more like real dirt.
"The turf quality has changed like crazy over the years," UC Baseball Head Coach Jordan Bischel said. "If you look back, you know, 30, 40 years at the Astrodome where they had AstroTurf, people said it was like playing on concrete. Balls would bounce 30 ft in the air when they landed, and now they've got enough technology with different dirt and rubber and mixes on it that it actually plays a lot like grass. You'll see it pretty similar in terms of, in terms of how the game is played."
There are some trade-offs, though. Turf can run hotter during the summer, especially in the outfield.
Engel said some areas are also prone to more wear and tear.
“After each game or usage of the field, I go out here and I inspect and make sure it’s all level particularly in our problem areas, the batter’s box and the pitcher’s mound,” Engel said.
Even though it’s artificial, the field still needs regular upkeep to stay consistent and game ready.
So, while the surface may be different, the goal is still the same — to play ball.
