Issue date: 3/25/10 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Trey Burke Colonel hitters take a swing in the newly renovated batter's box.

Media Credit: Trey Burke A ground view of the new synthetic turf.

On Monday afternoon, it was raining and Eastern's baseball team was practicing. A year ago, this probably wouldn't have been the case. The Colonels weren't just practicing in preparation for a mid-week home-and-home series with Miami (Ohio), or in anticipation of a match up with the preseason OVC-favorite Eastern Illinois Panthers this weekend: They were practicing because they could.

The simple fact that Eastern is now able to practice on days where the weather isn't agreeable is a new development for the Colonels.

As a result of a $500,000 total renovation effort, the home to Eastern baseball received a new state-of-the-art synthetic turf infield.

Turkey Hughes Field, the Colonels' home since the 1960s, is now equipped with the new synthetic turf infield. The field itself cost $260,000 of the renovation funding and was raised through the university and the athletic department.

This season marks the introduction of the new infield turf at Turkey Hughes Field. The turf allows the Colonels to practice and play games that may have been canceled in previous seasons due to poor field conditions and inclement weather.

In past years, even a little rain meant Eastern's team would lose countless amounts of practice time rolling out the tarp that covered the infield. Any time the baseball team spent rolling out the tarp to cover the infield during bad weather counts against the NCAA-allotted 20 hours a week for practice time. Also, rolling back the tarp or any time the team spent repairing the field counted against those hours.

Now the Colonels won't be spending as much time rolling the tarp on and back off the field.

The new infield prevents much of that lost time, allowing the Colonels to focus more on baseball than landscaping.

"We are just simply able to be out there more," Eastern Baseball Coach Jason Stein said. "We are able to take more reps and really focus on what we are doing. We are able to experience the benefit of working on our craft, working on our game, not the field."

Simon Gray, associate director of athletics for advancement, said that the athletic department originally had plans to completely overhaul the baseball stadium and field. This plan included renovating the dugouts and bullpens, fan seating, the press box, as well as the playing field. But when funding became an issue, the athletic department decided on improving Turkey Hughes Field in increments so they would be able to make improvements more quickly.

"Coach Stein pointed out how much practice time the team was losing, and he felt that improving the infield would be the best place to start," Gray said. "The infield was not in great shape at all."

Coach Stein said that his top priority when he took the head coaching job at his alma mater before the 2009 season was for the university and the athletic department to do something that would benefit the current players and help Eastern recruit new players.

"The new turf infield kills two birds with one stone," Stein said.

The advantages of the new infield are strong enough to even convince the baseball traditionalists on the team.

"I think I'm more of a traditional dirt and grass guy, but we are able to get so much more practice time in because of the new infield," Colonel third basemen Jayson Langfels said.

The turf allows for infielders to get a more consistent read on a groundball hit their way. But Langfels also points out the turf won't spoil Eastern's defensive intensity.

"The turf is great because there are no bad hops on grounders; it's consistent," Langfels said. "We just can't get spoiled. We can't just lay back on a grounder just because we know how the ball is going to hop. We try hard to stay aggressive like we would if we were playing on dirt."

With the completion of the new infield, it is unclear what project will be next. With Eastern facing more cuts in state funding, the continuing renovation of Turkey Hughes will require more work from the University, the athletic department, Colonel Alumni and other supporters of the program, as private fundraising will likely be the primary source of funding.

The outfield of Turkey Hughes Field may be the next target for renovation. When the stadium was built, the outfield was put in without a proper drainage system, and puddles are problematic when it rains heavily.

"You hate to sound greedy," Langfels said. "We are all very appreciative for all the work it took for us to have the new turf. But I think working on the outfield could help out a lot."

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