By MATTHEW VAUGHN
Sports Reporter

(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field is getting a new look by switching from natural grass to an all turf field. The field is scheduled to be completed by March 1.

PHOTO BY BRANDON BOWMAN / PHOTO EDITOR
The Mid-American Sports Construction has been working since
early November to complete the new field that is scheduled to
debut on March 4 against Pittsburg State.

This will change how games are played on this field in the future for the Mules baseball team. The transformation from natural grass to turf is for more than just looks, but because of the spring weather in Missouri.

Assistant Athletic Director of Facilities Scott Thomason said he is excited to see this transformation.

“The entire thing is just mind-blowing to become a reality,” Thomason said. “Jim Crane came down one morning before game two of American League Divisional Series and told Jerry Hughes ‘I’ll do up to a million for turf.”

Jim Crane is a former standout Mules pitcher who after graduating from UCM became a businessman and is the owner of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball.

“Not only can we play on it year-round, we are the seventh school out of 14 in the MIAA conference that has turf,” Thomason said.

Head baseball coach Kyle Crookes is also looking forward to the new turf field.

“The ability to practice and play regardless of the freezing weather conditions is an advantage of turf compared to natural grass,” Crookes said. “We are going to make this turf as fast as we possibly can and as close to what our grass field was.”

Over the past few seasons, the Mules baseball team hasn’t been able to play a full home schedule worth of games due to rain that always comes during the spring which has made keeping the field nice during the season a struggle.

“We touched up the field seven times in 2013 because of the weather,” Crookes said. “We were supposed to host a post-season game. We played it on the road in Hays, Kansas instead. It allows for postseason play, and from my understanding, the turf field can take 10-12 inches of rain without being rained out.”

Crookes said the new field helps out with recruiting potential players as well. This is just one phase of upgrades to the stadium that athletic director Jerry Hughes has for the Mules baseball program.

“I just came back from Houston where Jim Crane and I were together and we’ve got plans for more upgrades to the baseball facilities,” Hughes said.

The Mules are set to debut the new field on March 4 when they host Pittsburg State for a weekend series.