Columbia, MO – Last year it was a new face in the dugout, this year it’s a facelift for the field. The University of Missouri has put a brand new AstroTurf® baseball system into Taylor Stadium. The cutting edge artificial turf was installed in January and will be ready to go as Head Coach Steve Bieser leads the Tigers onto the diamond this spring in his second year at the helm.
When Mizzou takes the field for their home opener on February 23, they’ll step onto the Diamond Series RBI synthetic turf system. This premium baseball turf draws on AstroTurf’s decades of research and development to deliver a high-performance field that emulates the look and feel of a natural surface. The artificial grass is engineered to produce realistic ball bounce while the synthetic turf base paths are designed to accurately replicate the footing and slide distance you’d find on clay. Utilizing AstroTurf’s patented RootZone sublayer, as well as innovative infill compositions, the Diamond Series RBI baseball turf offers improved durability and increased longevity, especially in high-traffic areas of the field.
“We did our homework when it came time to explore the possibility of synthetic turf,” said Coach Bieser. “It became very clear to us why AstroTurf dominates the college baseball market – because they have a tremendous baseball product. It’s an exciting time for our program and we’re thrilled with our new turf at Taylor Stadium. ”
Thanks to AstroTurf’s relationship with OMNIA Partners, Public Sector, Missouri was able to procure their new field quickly while adhering to strict compliancy standards. OMNIA Partners 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 the University of Missouri time and money by eliminating the administrative costs and hassles of running competitive solicitations on their own.
The field installation was handled by Mid-America Sports Construction of Lees Summit, MO. Mid-America is a valued partner of AstroTurf and is the leading distributor and installer of synthetic turf for the central region of the United States.
Anticipation is high for the 2018 campaign, and not just because of the new look at Taylor. The Tigers are coming off a 2017 season that saw them win more games than any Mizzou team since 2008. They’ll be returning their team leaders in almost every major statistical category as Coach Bieser looks to keep the trajectory of Missouri Baseball pointing upwards.
AstroTurf’s relationship with America’s Pastime can certainly be regarded as trending upward. Add Missouri to the list of college baseball programs that have selected AstroTurf – a list that includes 80% of all Division I schools with artificial turf. These next generation fields combine the look, feel, and performance of a traditional grass and clay diamond while requiring far less maintenance. The advanced drainage systems and durable surfacing allow teams to play and practice in difficult weather conditions, a major plus for college programs whose seasons typically start in February.
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.