PHILADELPHIA – Fans of the La Salle University field hockey and baseball programs will see a noticeable change at home games this season, as Hank DeVincent Field has received a full facelift. Sprinturf (www.sprinturf.com), the leading developer of synthetic turf systems, installed an all-new surface at the on-campus venue just in time for the 2019-20 academic year.
“The resurfacing of Hank DeVincent Field will greatly benefit the experience of our student-athletes in baseball and field hockey, as well as the students who participate in intramurals and club sports,” Director of Athletics and Recreation Brian Baptiste said. “This is an important step in enhancing the support of the La Salle University community and our sport programs, as they compete for Atlantic 10 championships.”
DeVincent Field underwent a full removal of the old artificial turf this summer, and replaced it with Sprinturf’s DFE Extreme Field. The field features a 330 micron plus monofilament and a 120 micron plus slit film. It is exclusively made in-house and in the United States of America. A sand and rubber infill artificial turf system, the DFE Extreme Field reaches the highest standards of durability and is also designed to increase safety and reduce the rate of player injury.
“We are very excited to begin the 2019 season on a newly re-surfaced field,” head field hockey coach Kelly Broadway said. “Moving to a sand-based turf will help us be more competitive in the Atlantic 10 as well as providing a huge improvement in student-athlete welfare.”
The field hockey program will break in the new surface when they arrive to campus for preseason camp in mid-August. The first official athletic contest at the new Hank DeVincent Field will be held on Friday, August 30 when the Broadway-led Explorers square off against Sacred Heart. The baseball team will begin its fall season in September.
“The new and improved Hank DeVincent Field now shows the Atlantic 10 that we are ready for business,” head baseball coach David Miller said. “The players are excited to get to work on our beautiful new field. We are grateful to the University for completing this project, and ready for the upcoming 2020 season.”
