For Immediate Release 

Deaconess Sports Park To Replace Infields With Synthetic Turf

EVANSVILLE: The Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Evansville) held a board meeting early Thursday morning to award a construction contract to replace the eight clay infields, along with batting cages and bullpens, with synthetic turf at Deaconess Sports Park. Project construction will begin in early November and is expected to be completed in time for the 2022 season.

This state-of-the-art synthetic turf will feature reduced surface temperatures due to natural infill compared to traditional rubber. Improved drainage will decrease return to play times after a rainfall, improving the Park's playability. Expanding the base distances will increase the Park's tournament offerings up to and including 13U baseball. These benefits will allow the Park to host a longer tournament season with almost guaranteed play. The Tourism Capital Improvement Fund investment into this project is $2,866,218.26. 

"The conversion of these infields to this state-of-the-art synthetic surface will help Deaconess Sports Park remain one of the premier facilities in the midwest and position the park for future tournament growth," said Tim Fulton, Director of Sports Facilities at Evansville Sports Complex. "The larger regional tournament organizers tend to target facilities with the ability to resume play after a rainfall providing almost guaranteed gameplay quickly," said Fulton. 

Since opening the gates in 2015, Deaconess Sports Park has attracted approximately 2,500 teams annually, generating roughly $100 million in economic impact to the Evansville/Vanderburgh County area. Continued facility investments will keep Deaconess Sports Park at the forefront of the sports tournament industry and provide ongoing support to local hoteliers, restaurants and businesses. 

"Deaconess Sports Park is a tremendous asset to the community. The impact that Deaconess Sports Park has on tourism is significant and we are excited to be able to continue to invest in the park," said Mackenzie Black, Corporate Director of Sales and Marketing at Dunn Hospitality Group. "Making the fields synthetic is exciting as it will improve the overall experience for the tournaments hosted at the park and allow us more flexibility on hosting games when we have inclement weather," said Black. 

For more information, contact Tim Fulton, Director of Sports Facilities, at tfulton@evansvillesportscomplex.com or Jim Wood, President and CEO at Visit Evansville, at jwood@visitevansville.com

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The Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Evansville) is the official sales and marketing agency for tourism in Evansville, Indiana, and Vanderburgh County. The Evansville CVB is dedicated to marketing and supporting local hotels and attractions and enhancing the area's economy by selling the region as a premier destination for conventions, meetings, sports events, leisure, and business. The Evansville CVB operates the Evansville Sports Complex (ESC), including Deaconess Sports Park and Goebel Soccer Complex. The ESC is a state-of-the-art, multi-use sports facility specializing in youth baseball and softball, adult league softball, youth soccer, and lacrosse.