COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland Athletic Department announced a set of enhancements to Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium that will advance the student-athlete experience at one of Maryland's most storied venues.

The home of Terrapin baseball for 63 years, Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium will receive the following enhancements, aimed to improve the safety of the playing surface for the student-athletes and build a more aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for fans. The project will also include improved bullpens and a redone outfield wall. 

·       Project will increase safety as the current field is an infield synthetic turf with an outfield grass surface. This is to feature one playing surface throughout Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.

·       Of the 13 Big Ten Conference Universities that support baseball, only Maryland has a synthetic turf infield with a natural grass outfield. The installation of an all turf field will allow Maryland Baseball to keep competitive in the landscape of the conference.

·       The current field has a native soil Bermuda grass outfield with no drainage. The installation of drainage under the all synthetic turf field will allow for a quicker resumption of play or practice after inclement weather passes.

·       In addition to complying with the storm water mitigation requirements the project will take away any fertilizer applications required for grass surfaces which may have a long term positive environmental impact as well as a reduction of expenses for grass field maintenance. 

·       A new closed off bullpen for the home team will be created for the players to warm up in a closed off area within the left field foul territory. The home and visitor bullpens will be all turf, with the exception of the mounds, which will be dirt.

·       The outfield wall will be redone to increase distance and make the batters eye part of the park. The new wall will also give a better look for fans.  

“These improvements to our home park will provide our players one of the top surfaces in the country to perform on.” head coach John Szefc said. “The new FieldTurf surface and improvements to the wall and bullpen will also provide a more aesthetically pleasing venue for our fans. This is a great step forward for our program.”

Maryland has burst onto the national scene over the past two seasons, advancing to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, which led to consecutive Super Regional berths, for the first time since 1970-71. Under Szefc's direction, Maryland has won 40 games in back-to-back seasons and won a school record 42 contests in 2015. Szefc became the fastest skipper in Maryland history to reach 100 wins.

Szefc and his staff produced a school record eight selections in the 2015 MLB Draft and cultivated six All-Americans over the past three seasons.

“Our baseball program has made significant strides and is now recognized nationally,” University of Maryland director of athletics Kevin Anderson said. “Our vision for this project is to upgrade Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium to create a safer playing surface for our students and maximize their performance.”

In addition to Terrapin athletics events, Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium plays host to campus baseball events along with state high school championships. These improvements will allow the park to continue to host these events and enhance the game day experience for those participants.

The enhancements will be funded by state funds, philanthropic contributions and general athletic department revenue. 

-Terps-