Robert H. Ledbetter Baseball Complex receives 2006 ABCA/Turface Outstanding Field Maintenance Award

The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) has announced that Shorter College has been awarded the ABCA/Turface Outstanding Field Maintenance Award for the Robert H. Ledbetter Baseball Complex. Each year, the award is given to one college in the United States that has shown outstanding maintenance programs in both infield and turf care.

“Our field would not be anything without the amazing people that work on it, specifically [assistant coach Bryon] Hale,” said head baseball coach Matt Larry. “There is a lot that goes into our field looking the way it does and to receive an award like this is quite an honor.”

Larry will accept the award at the annual ABCA Convention Honors Luncheon on Jan. 6, 2007 in Orlando, Fla. In addition, Shorter College baseball will receive a plaque, one ton of Turface MVP and $400 to be spent on maintenance equipment.

To apply for the award, programs across the country sent in a photograph of the field and a brief paragraph detailing budget, amount of games played and the amount of people responsible for maintenance. With the Ledbetter complex’s relatively small budget, two groundskeepers, and nearly 80 games played, Shorter was able to pull away with the award.

In his letter to the selection committee, Hale, who is in his 3rd season with the Hawks, wrote: “The Shorter College baseball field is one of the top small college playing surfaces in the Southeast. Visiting coaches constantly compliment the excellent condition of the playing surface. In the spring, both varsity and JV play full home schedules on the field, and there are typically 8-10 local high school games held in the spring as well. Daily practices support over 60 players per day, without any form of alternate practicing sites.”

Past winners of the ABCA award include Barton College (2005) in Wilson, N.C. and Clemson University (2004).