As new season nears, softball field at UWRF faces water problem
Falcon News Service
November 20, 2019
The newly improved UW-River Falls softball field outside of the Falcon Center is experiencing problems with water not draining properly, which may cause delays once the new season starts in spring semester.
Once water gets on the field, it doesn’t drain away, resulting in standing water.
“We’ve tried aerating the outfield and top-dressing it with sand to make the soil more absorbent,” said William Folk of Falcon Center Operations. “This hasn’t been as effective as we would like. We still have a wet outfield, which is not good for play or the health of the grass.”
The Falcon Center is looking to install a system that will allow water to percolate down to the drain tile and lead it away from the field. Since the weather is unpredictable through the winter, it is unlikely work will be done before the season starts.
The women’s softball team’s season starts Feb. 29 with a double-header at home against Bethany Lutheran College.
Perkins Field, named for former UWRF softball coach Faye Perkins, saw a major upgrade during the second phase of the Falcon Center project. The site for the softball field was excavated in the fall of 2014 and most of the work was completed by the fall of 2015. The field has a “real stadium” feel to it, unlike most softball fields in Division III sports. A seating area meant to hold 300 people was added when the scoreboard was installed in the spring of 2016.