The first rolls of turf being laid
Queens, NY – The Kings of Big East baseball are upgrading their home in Queens with a brand new field for The Jack. St. John’s University has decided to transform Jack Kaiser Stadium with cutting edge baseball turf from AstroTurf®. Installation is already underway with the new artificial field slated for completion before the Red Storm’s home opener in early March.
When the Johnnies take the field on March 6th, that field will be a fully synthetic surface comprised of AstroTurf’s Diamond Series baseball turf. All of the outfield and portions of the infield will be covered in the RootZone Diamond Blend artificial grass, while the base paths, batter’s box, warning track, and pitcher’s mound will feature the RootZone Diamond-i product. Decades of research and development, coupled with guidance from elite coaches and baseball lifers, have lifted the Diamond Series to the top of the market in college baseball turf. Each component of the field is specifically engineered to replicate the look, feel, and performance of a natural surface, including realistic ball bounce and accurate sliding distances. In other words, it plays like grass where it’s supposed to and like clay where it should.
“I had been exploring the possibility of getting a turf field for many years. I had been in contact with AstroTurf Regional Vice President Dave Wheaton, and after review and investigation, we came to the conclusion that AstroTurf is the best product on the market. We are excited to partner with AstroTurf and look forward to seeing how this field helps our program develop” said Ed Blankmeyer, St. John’s Head Coach.
After doing their homework, St. John’s knew they wanted AstroTurf for their conversion to artificial turf. Their procurement of the brand new field was made possible by AstroTurf’s association with National IPA. National IPA is the nation’s leading cooperative purchasing organization. They offer a portfolio of competitively solicited contracts that have been awarded based on industry best practices and maximum value. It saves institutions like St. John’s University time and money by eliminating the administrative costs and hassles of running competitive solicitations on their own.
Coach Blankmeyer returns to lead a Red Storm squad that is coming off of one of the school’s best seasons in history. The Johnnies won 42 games and made the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time under Blankmeyer. After traveling to North Carolina and California for early season tournaments, the Johnnies return to Queens for their home opener March 6th against LIU-Brooklyn, where they will show off their new AstroTurf field at The Jack.
About AstroTurf®
For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The brand offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit AstroTurf’s newly redesigned website at www.astroturf.com.