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EVANSVILLE — In its six years, Deaconess Sports Park has become a tourism commodity for Evansville, bringing in softball and baseball events that play a role in supporting thousands of hotel and restaurant jobs.
Keeping the complex competitive with other youth sports facilities involves ongoing investments, officials said.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau board in a 5-0 vote approved a $2.8 million contract with Empire Contractors to place synthetic turf on the complex’s eight fields. Officials said it will mean fewer rained out events and better playing conditions for teams.
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Deaconess Sports Park hosted 34 tournaments this year, up from only 19 in 2020 when COVID-19 caused numerous cancellations.
The park hopes for at least 40 events in 2022, with the new infields installed. One tournament, the USA Softball Girls 14UA National Championship in July, is expected to bring 3,900 room nights and $1.7 million impact.
CVB officials said the new infield surfaces could put Evansville in contention for more baseball tournaments, in addition to softball.
They said the new infield surfaces will be more pleasant for ballplayers, as well. The turf is made of coconut husk and sand, rather than rubber pellets.
“You have some places in Texas in other states where athletes’ and umpires’ cleats would melt,” said Jim Wood, CEO of the visitors bureau. “We paid close attention as we evaluated the types of synthetic toppings that are out there. We wanted one of the coolest, because if it’s 84 degrees out there, we don’t want the field to be 104.”
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Ryan Wargel, coach of the Evansville Devils 17U baseball club, said the transition to a cooler synthetic turf is a plus for the park and will allow it to attract more activity.
“We are playing at UE this year,” Wargel said. “It’s a gorgeous field, but it’s hot. A cooler field is a huge benefit. Plus, you don’t really have rainouts. Pretty much as soon as it stops raining, you can get back out there.”
The CVB intends to have the new turf ready for play in March.
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