By: by Joe Mellenbruch '13
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Just when you thought things could not get better for the Saint John's University baseball team, they did. The defending MIAC Playoff champions, SJU will break in a brand new field in 2013, a field that is much different from the one it played on last year.
Although the baseball field is located in the same location as the old diamond, the field has been reconfigured. The “new” home plate is now located in what used to be the right-field corner.
But that's not the biggest change.
One of the most obvious changes made has been the installation of SprinTurf from the old natural-grass surface. The entire 128,000-square foot field – including the infield, pitcher's mound and home plate area – is turf.
Head coach Jerry Haugen, who is entering his 36th year with the team, cites numerous advantages to a turfed surface, especially field maintenance.
“The turf makes maintenance of the field much easier,” Haugen said. “We won't have to worry about cutting the grass or getting the water turned onto the field. We just get to come to the field, play, and when we're done playing, we go home without having to do an hour and a half of maintenance afterward.”
It's difficult for spring sports teams in Minnesota to begin practicing outside if there is still snow on the ground or if their fields are still too wet. Playing on a soggy field in early March is a reality that many Minnesota baseball teams are forced to endure.
Fortunately for Haugen and the Johnnies, that isn't something that they'll need to worry about anymore.
“We all want to play on grass, but having college baseball in the spring, especially up north, makes it tough for us to play on a natural surface at first,” Haugen said. “We want to get out on the field in March, and our season is over after the second week in May, at least when it comes to playing on our home field. At that point, we're done, and that's just when things start greening up and it finally starts looking like spring time.”
Baseball-specific amenities
The new stadium includes two submerged (three steps) dugouts for the participating teams (650 square feet, 62 feet long by 12 feet deep), as well as two-mound bullpens extending down each baseline. The bullpens, coupled with the game mound and a pitching mound in each batting cage, enables seven pitchers to throw at any given time during practice. Two batting cages (75 feet long by 16 feet wide each) are located behind the left-field fence, with 150 feet of soft-toss netting extended toward center field.
Grandstand/New fan accommodations
One of the most problematic aspects of the old baseball park was a lack of sufficient fan accommodations, especially in the event of heavy wind or rain.
The facilities project is addressing this issue by allowing for the construction of a grandstand, which will sit directly behind the plate, as well as bathrooms and concessions. Tentative plans call for the grandstand to be ready for fan use ahead of the 2014 season if sufficient funding can be raised.
“It'll be comfortable out there now,” Haugen said. “Before, there was no place to hide down there.”
Additionally, the new field will offer a variety of new vantage points for fans to watch the action, including natural-grass berms down both baselines. They will also notice some of the other athletic renovations nearby, including a new soccer field and new tennis courts.
“With the way the field is designed, there's a lot of extra space where fans can have a great view of the game above the dugouts,” Haugen said. “There's also a good amount of space in between the dugout and where the grandstand will be that will be available. It will be a nice set up for people to come out and watch a game.”
“It's always fun to play in front of a big crowd at your home field,” junior outfielder Dylan Graves said. “Now that we will have enough seating for everyone, I'm hoping that even more people will come out and support the team.”
“The fans are what make everything worthwhile, and now that we have the best field in the MIAC, it will also be exciting for them,” senior shortstop Max Forster said. “I just can't wait to get out on the new turf for the first time with the guys.”
New field dimensions
Haugen feels that playing on the new surface will be advantageous for his team in a number of respects, including its fielding percentage.
“The turf is actually a slower playing surface,” Haugen said. “When we're playing in the Metrodome or over at Minnetonka High School for the conference tournament, you have to pound a ball pretty hard to get a ground ball through the infield. The turf will give our defense more opportunities to make plays.”
“On grass, you have to worry about things like bad hops and the difference in speed between grass and dirt,” Forster said. “With turf, everything is the same. Fielding should be much cleaner in easier in just about every aspect.”
Saint John's ranked seventh in the MIAC in fielding percentage (.957) in 2012. The Johnnies hope that their new artificial surface will eliminate mistakes and result in an improved defensive effort.
“Though the new turf will challenge our footwork and quickness, it will also provide cleaner and more natural hops,” senior pitcher Ryan Spengler said.
Saint John's has also decided to move in the fences at their new park, something that should have the team's power hitters licking their chops.
“There will be balls leaving this yard,” Haugen said with a smile. “I guarantee it.”
The fence at the new park is 10 feet closer to home plate down each line (340 feet in 2012 to 330 feet in 2013). Dimensions in center field and both the right-and left-field gaps have been brought in nine feet closer (400 feet in 2012 to 391 feet in 2013 in center, and 380 feet to 371 feet in the gaps).
With smaller field dimensions, the Johnnies are hoping to see a spike in their power numbers.
“We've got about five guys on the team who should see improvement in their power numbers,” Haugen said, whose team hit 16 homers playing in the MIAC's biggest park.
“One of the biggest reasons why we've never led the conference in home runs was because of our park,” Haugen said. “Our old park was a big field. In fact, there weren't many major league fields bigger.”
Two players that will be expected to contribute to that goal are Forster and Graves, who were the top two sluggers for Saint John's last season. Graves was the team's leader in both home runs (6) and slugging percentage (.540), while Forster finished second in the same two categories (five home runs, .538 slugging percentage).
Both understand that having a smaller park brings the potential for an increase in the team's power numbers. However, they also do not plan on changing their approach at the plate in any way.
“Hopefully we are able to put quite a few over the fence this year,” Forster added. “I personally am not going to take any different approach at the plate than I have in past years, because if you're main focus is to try and hit a homerun every time, it's not likely that it'll happen. I think if we just focus on trying to put the ball in play, good things will happen, and we'll go from there.”
2013 Schedule
Carleton visits Collegeville April 3 to begin the MIAC schedule and open the new stadium. The Johnnies host St. Thomas April 9 and travel April 10 to the new Siebert Field to face the University of Minnesota. Incidentally, the Gophers will travel to Collegeville to play SJU in 2014. The Johnnies begin the 2013 season Feb. 25 with a 9:15 p.m. doubleheader against Division II Concordia-St. Paul, the first of four doubleheaders at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. The Johnnies visit North Park (Ill.) March 23 before traveling to Tucson, Ariz., for eight games in four days over spring break (March 25-28).
