Dragons to Install Major League-Quality Playing Surface for 2024 at Day Air Ballpark
DAYTON, OHIO—The Dayton Dragons today announced plans for a complete reconstruction of the playing surface at Day Air Ballpark, including grass, infield mix, warning tracks, drainage and irrigation, and field/bullpen mounds. The field replacement project will be completed by The Motz Group, a Southwest Ohio company that has previously completed
DAYTON, OHIO—The Dayton Dragons today announced plans for a complete reconstruction of the playing surface at Day Air Ballpark, including grass, infield mix, warning tracks, drainage and irrigation, and field/bullpen mounds.
The field replacement project will be completed by The Motz Group, a Southwest Ohio company that has previously completed field renovations for the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Ravens, FC Cincinnati, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Motz Group will be responsible for the installation of approximately 100,000 square feet of new HGT Kentucky Bluegrass grown at a sod farm in Maryland, along with USGA Rootzone. The project will be completed prior to the start of the 2024 baseball season on April 5.
“The field reconstruction is a major project, the first of many coming to Day Air Ballpark,” said Robert Murphy, Dragons President & General Manager. “The new field will not only have a major league look but will also feature greatly improved drainage capacity to shorten or in some cases, eliminate rain delays going forward. The design changes will meet all the MLB compliance requirements for professional baseball standards.”
Motz is responsible for the installation of a new infield clay system consisting of DuraEdge infield mix topped with Pros Choice infield conditioner and Pro Mound Clay, and the installation of over 11,000 lineal feet of drainage pipe. Motz’s expertise on the synthetic turf side of things will be utilized with the installation of synthetic turf catching areas in the bullpens. In addition, Motz will excavate and demo the current field, removing over 7,000 tons of sand, clay, and sod.
The effort represents the most significant field construction in the history of the ballpark, and the first complete field reconstruction since 2011. The original field was constructed in 2000 and remained for 12 years.
“The Motz team is absolutely thrilled and immensely proud to be teaming up with the Dayton Dragons to transform the playing surface at Day Air Ballpark,” said Amy Fouty, Field Consultant with Motz. “Together, we’re ready to take the Dragons home field to new heights, creating a field that will inspire champions and ignite the passion of fans for years to come.”
The Dragons open the 2024 season, their 24th in the Midwest League, on April 5 at Day Air Ballpark against the Lansing Lugnuts.
Dragons 2024 season ticket information is available now. Call the Dragons at (937) 228-2287 or email [email protected] for more information, or visit the Dragons website at daytondragons.com/seasontickets.
More about the Motz Group: Founded in 1977 and serving the high-performance natural and synthetic turf markets, Motz is one of the world’s most recognized and highly respected turf system specialists. Headquartered in Cincinnati, this employee-owned company celebrates 45+ years in the industry and proudly stands behind its products and services to ensure long-lasting, prosperous relationships with its valued customer base. Motz’s core values – Championship Quality, Integrity, Think As An Owner, Innovation, and Self Enrichment – serve as guiding principles and help drive excellence and high achievement throughout the Company and to each employee-owner. Motz is also a proud Certified Evergreen company and is committed to moving people to better lives. Learn more at themotzgroup.com.