CHAMPAIGN, ILL., Oct. 3, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Illinois Field is regarded as one of the top collegiate baseball facilities in both the Big Ten and the entire Midwest, and the stadium's reputation will go to the next level with the announcement that FieldTurf will be installed in time for the 2008 season. The joint announcement was made today by Illinois University Director of Athletics Ron Guenther and FieldTurf CEO David Moszkowski.
The Fighting Illini will play their first home game on their new FieldTurf on April 2 against St. Louis. This Illinois Field upgrade is the latest improvement to be made to the home of Fighting Illini baseball that opened in 1988. Other recent additions include stadium lights, refurbished dugouts and a remodeled infield that was designed by Chicago White Sox personnel.
"The addition of FieldTurf will be a tremendous boost for our program," said Illinois Head Baseball Coach Dan Hartlieb. "It will allow us to practice outside when we have nice weather in February and March. This surface will play extremely true and will be one of the finest in the country."
"Illinois Field is well known as one of the top collegiate baseball facilities in the United States, and we are exceptionally pleased that FieldTurf will now be the turf of choice at that outstanding venue," said Moszkowski. "FieldTurf's baseball product is the finest available in the world, as evidenced by the fact that it is the leading synthetic grass surface in Major League Baseball and also in the NCAA. We're also very happy that Illinois will become the eighth Big Ten university to install FieldTurf for one of their athletic teams. I am supremely confident that Coach Hartlieb and his players will notice an immediate difference in the playability and safety of their new FieldTurf surface. We look forward to a successful relationship with the administration, coaches and student-athletes at UI."
Illinois Field was one of the first four baseball facilities in The Big Ten to have lights for night games. The complex has been the site of the annual Big Ten tournament on multiple occasions. The complex features a clubhouse and lounge, four batting cages and a press box.
While FieldTurf is widely known for its outstanding football surfaces, the company's baseball business is also booming. Illinois is the 19th Division I-A university to install FieldTurf for its baseball facility. In addition to the colleges and minor league teams that utilize FieldTurf for baseball, MLB's Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays also make FieldTurf their choice for their stadiums.
FieldTurf is the result of years of research - evident in the patented FieldTurf infill mix of silica sand and cryogenic rubber and patented layering process that deliver a system that emulates natural grass. Additional benefits are found in improved player safety, reduced maintenance costs and flexibility for conversion - allowing stadium managers to quickly change the field from one sport to another or to easily host a variety of sporting events, concerts and other special events directly on top of the FieldTurf surface.
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 2000 installations in more than 45 countries. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com.