Game Day Infield Hydration

From weather conditions like sunlight, wind speed, and humidity to circumstances like budget, level of play, and game timing, numerous factors affect how often you should water your infield. 

Professional facilities may water as often as eight times a day, but most facilities will be doing well if they water even once a day. Hydrating the infield at noon on the day of a 4 p.m. game is a realistic goal that will help ensure a safe playing surface later in the day. 

The process doesn’t require nail dragging or anything to “open” the infield skin. Rather, it simply involves a one-inch fire hose and a one-inch (or larger) quick coupler. 

Assuming the infield has the appropriate amounts of conditioner, sand, silt, and clay, you can water it until there is nearly standing water. And you can still walk on it immediately after watering—if you have the right infield mix. See the below photo of a balanced infield after hydration.

It’s all about having a balanced infield mix and thorough hydration to provide a safe, playable surface for your athletes.