Dalton, Ga – With a new round of artificial turf installations at several of the nation’s top collegiate softball facilities, AstroTurf seals its position as the leading provider of playing surfaces for NCAA schools. From Boston College to the University of Hawaii, the best softball programs in the country are empowering their players with the superior durability, realistic ball bounce, and high performance that AstroTurf’s Diamond Series turf systems provide.
AstroTurf’s most recent Division I softball installations include a new field at Oklahoma State University’s Cowgirl Stadium. After testing several turf systems, Coach Kenny Gajewski opted for the RootZone Diamond Blend RBI, which combines a texturized fiber system that curls down and reduces infill migration with legend-shaped polyethylene monofilament fibers that ensure an attractive, grass-like look and strong wear resistance. Oklahoma State is well known for having one of the premier softball programs in the country – now it also has one of the best facilities, too.
The University of Michigan also recently chose AstroTurf’s Diamond Series RBI system for the turf at Alumni Field at the Wilpon Complex. Home to 17 NCAA Regional tournaments and four NCAA Super Regionals, the Wolverines’ home turf in Ann Arbor is one of the most modern softball fields in the Big 10 Conference and continues to be a point of pride for the team.
In October of 2021, AstroTurf installed its Diamond Series HR turf system at the Amanda Littlejohn Stadium in Lillington, North Carolina for the Campbell University Camels. Campbell University took home the Big South Softball Championship title last year with a win over the USC Upstate Spartans.
Another elite NCAA softball team playing on a freshly installed AstroTurf field for the 2022 season is Florida A&M’s Lady Rattlers. FAMU replaced the existing clay infield and natural grass outfield at its 37-year-old complex with a state-of-the-art RootZone Diamond OPS synthetic turf system.
Commenting on the upgrade, Vice President and Director of Athletics Kortne Gosha said, “We were extremely excited to partner with AstroTurf on this project. It was very important that we developed a premier student-athlete experience to perform in all weather conditions [and to] reduce grounds and upkeep expenses.”
Villanova’s Wildcats are also getting a major upgrade. Their Diamond Series RBI turf system at Pike Softball Field will convert their existing natural grass field to artificial turf. Villanova is coming off its first Big East Championship in 2021.
And Liberty University completed their AstroTurf upgrade last June, bringing an innovative RootZone Diamond Blend RBI field to Kamphuis Field, one of the top collegiate softball facilities in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Coach Dot Richardson, who has an outstanding 258-190 record after eight years at Liberty, commented on the new field, “We have been blessed to partner with AstroTurf for our softball stadium, which is one of the state-of-the-art facilities in the nation. We enjoy the durability, performance, and aesthetics of the product. AstroTurf is committed to excellence, and we appreciate our partnership.”
The University of Connecticut also went with AstroTurf’s Diamond Series OPS for its new turf installation at the Burrill Family Field last March.
“Our athletes and our program as a whole are very grateful to have such a beautiful facility,” said head coach Laura Valentino. “Our field is one of the best in the Northeast, if not the best, and we are appreciative of AstroTurf’s partnership and hard work.”
Other elite college softball teams playing on AstroTurf include last year’s NCAA National Champions, the University of Oklahoma Sooners, the University of Incarnate World, Saint Joseph’s University, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Fresno State, and the University of Oregon.
With the ability to tailor the field to create a home-field advantage and to drastically reduce the maintenance costs that come with a natural-grass field, all while boosting longevity and performance, the Diamond Series is a clear home-run for the nation’s top softball programs.
About AstroTurf®
For athletes and sports enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The brand offers advanced, 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 website at www.astroturf.com.