TMC Improves Best High School Baseball Field In Texas

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Originally built by us - Texas Multi-Chem - around 2000, Kerrville Tivy's high school baseball field has been one of the best natural grass playing surfaces in the state. Each spring, teams in the Texas High School baseball playoffs often seek out the high school's baseball field as a premier playoff location. Tivy has a nice sports facility, with the crown jewel being the TifSport hybrid bermudagrass turf on the baseball field. The quality and condition of the turf sets this field apart from any other field in the state.

Even the best fields need renovation from time to time. Specifically, baseball field turfgrass managers are constantly battling lip problems on their infields. Tivy's baseball field is no different and over the past couple of seasons their infield developed some fairly severe lips along the back arch and around each base.

Photo Gallery Images: Visit the photo gallery to see the main Tivy Baseball Field Renovation photos.

More Renovation Images: View our TMC Facebook Page for even more photos of the renovation.

The problem got to a point where a power rake couldn't sufficiently reverse the effects of the gradual, yet significant lip buildup. Not only do infield lips affect how the game is played and athlete safety, but mowing behavior can also be affected. In the renovation photos, notice how tall the grass is because mowing was more problematic at the edges. Clearly, a more involved field renovation needed to be done.

Need Help With Your Infield Lips? Call us at 1.800.292.1214

Need Help With Your Infield Lips? Call us at 1.800.292.1214

Renovation Plan

  1. Find original grade behind problem areas

  2. Remove sod

  3. Redistribute infield soil material to correct, original grade

  4. Install new sod

  5. Water!

Infield Renovation Steps

  • Sod cut all skinned area edges (~6 ft off back arch, ~3 ft at home plate circle and pitcher's mound, and ~3 ft on the infield turf - distance determined by finding the "correct" grade...e.g. where the lip leveled out) - removing sod from problem areas

  • Removing spoils, exposing extra soil material beneath the sod that was the reason for the lips around the infield

  • Break up/till infield soil material so it can be moved around and redistributed back to the original grade. Remember, baseball infield lip problems are simply the result of inordinate soil distribution to the infield edges

  • Final grade using laser to exact desired level

  • Once most of the infield mix has been redistributed back to near original grade, the new sod can be installed. We used great sod from a trusted source - King Ranch Turfgrass

  • Sod is then rolled to help ensure the newly installed TifSport bermudagrass sod is making full contact with the soil

  • Keep it wet, watering 4-5 times per day, so the sod can survive the harvest and re-plant transition

Now the infield is back to original grade, especially in the important transition areas between the turf and the skinned areas. Nice. Flat. Clean edges. Perfect.

Tivy's new infield sod should be grown in and strong once growing season stops this fall. The field will be ready for play in February and once the spring growing season begins again, that rich dark green turf will take hold and Kerrville Tivy High School's baseball field will remain one of the best playing surfaces in the state of Texas.

Need help with infield lip problems? Contact TMC at 1.800.292.1214