OREM, Utah – Thanks to a generous donation from dōTERRA, Utah Valley University’s UCCU Ballpark has received a facelift with a state-of-the-art turf field that was completed two weeks ago by FieldTurf – the industry leader in artificial playing surfaces. The 139,732 square-foot new turf baseball field will now be known as dōTERRA Field at UCCU Ballpark.
“We would like to thank dōTERRA for its generous donation to help make this project a reality,” UVU Director of Athletics Dr. Jared Sumsion said. “Our student-athletes will benefit greatly from this cutting-edge playing surface year-round. It will truly make a substantial difference for our baseball program for many years to come.”
Since opening in 2005, UCCU Ballpark has featured a traditional natural grass and dirt field. The new turf playing surface will now allow the Wolverines to practice on the field nearly all year long as well as host home games earlier in the season than ever before.
“The turf looks great and will be a wonderful asset for our program,” head UVU baseball coach Eric Madsen said. “This top-notch playing surface will not only allow us to schedule home games earlier than we have in the past, but it will also give us the opportunity to practice here at UCCU Ballpark in the winter months. The new field will greatly benefit our team and we are very happy with the result.”
The field features FieldTurf’s DoublePlay Series and was installed in just over 50 days (from Jan. 20 to March 12). UVU’s new FieldTurf DoublePlay Series field showcases leading development and testing that included over 300 research-hours to help design the new system. dōTERRA Field also utilizes FieldTurf’s critical performance criteria – speed, line and bounce – and will play very similar to a natural surface. A total of 900,000 pounds of material and infill weight was used during the installation.
“We are thrilled with the work that FieldTurf has done and with the finished product of dōTERRA Field. The turf looks great and we can’t wait for our student-athletes and coaches to be able to get out on the new field and get to work,” Sumsion added. “It is truly a pristine playing surface and we’re very pleased with how it turned out.”
The new dōTERRA Field will also give UCCU Ballpark the opportunity to host more high school tournaments and games than ever before as well as community functions. Each summer, UCCU Ballpark also marks the home park for the Orem Owlz – a Minor League Baseball Rookie League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.
UCCU Ballpark features 2,500 seats for spectators and also has room for 2,500 more fans on the grass berm down the third base line and in left field. It boasts both home and visitor clubhouses, indoor and outdoor batting cages, a full workout facility, and a training room. Beyond the left field wall, the Utah Valley University campus and the Wasatch Mountains provide the park with a beautiful backdrop, making it one of the most aesthetic, picturesque college baseball stadiums in the country.
Despite having its 2020 season cut short due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, UVU baseball will have the opportunity to call the new ultramodern playing surface home for many years to come.
“Our hearts are broken for this year’s baseball team as well as for all of our student-athletes. We were really looking forward to having our 2020 baseball team get out and compete on this new playing surface. Although the team will not be able to play on it this season, many student-athletes will benefit from it, and we couldn’t be happier with the completed project,” Sumsion concluded.
