Fans should expect ‘MLB-caliber' field at Covenant Health Park, says head groundskeeper

Yahoo

02-04-2025

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Opening Day at Covenant Health Park is April 15 and the Smokies grounds crew has been hard at work getting the field ready. Head groundskeeper Joe Knight told 6 News it's a lot of hard work to get the field playable and up to MLB standards.
'It just takes a lot of time really,' Knight said. 'We've been full-time on the field after it's been turned over to us for about two weeks now.'
Those two weeks have been filled with machinery and lawnmowers to ensure the field is in the best condition possible. Knight added there's still a lot that needs to be done.
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'Getting the grass in shape, putting fertilizer down, getting the dirt worked, getting it in shape,' Knight said. 'We still have a long ways to go but we have practice tomorrow so we've got to get it there. It's going to be a couple more grinding days but we'll be ready.'
Knight said the hard work he and his crew put in is well worth it come game time and the real reward will be watching the game on the field they perfected.
'Actually getting to see it put to use. We do a lot of work that nobody sees and then we get to see it used for a game with thousands of people in the stands,' Knight added. 'A lot of those people, we now don't know what all goes into it, but we know and we get to see it be used and do it all over again. That's the best part about it.'
With a new stadium comes a new set of challenges the grounds crew must overcome, the biggest is making sure the new retractable mound is in good working order for when it's time for it to be moved.
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'I have started working on it and it's a little tricky so we are still playing around and trying to figure some things out,' Knight explained. 'Everything we have seen so far already, it acts like a normal mound. You can't really tell when you're standing on it that there's not solid ground underneath. You can feel it when we are tamping it and stuff, you can kind of feel the hollow underneath. It's a little different but it's going to be a challenge for sure, it's just something new fro us to learn.'
Knight said the grounds crew is ready to get the tarp out as quickly as possible in the unfortunate event of a rain delay. He said fans should expect an MLB-caliber field on Opening Day and they are thankful for the recent weather to help them get as much work done as possible.
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The home opener is set for April 15 against the Chattanooga Lookouts. The game will air on WATE-TV with a pregame show starting at 7:00 p.m. and first pitch slated for 7:30.
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