FieldTurf helps lead UNG to National Championship and record-breaking season

With a convincing 5-0 win over Dixie State at the NCAA Division II softball championship, the University of North Georgia claimed their first national championship! The UNG Nighthawks were coming off a program best for wins in a season, finishing the year at 54-8.

UNG capitalized on their scoring chances by converting five runs on just six hits. NFCA National Player of the Year Courtney Poole kept Dixie State off the board with another stellar performance, recording a two-hit shutout with 4 strikeouts.

In 2014, the University of North Georgia selected FieldTurf to convert all three outdoor stadiums, including Haines & Carolyn Hill Softball Stadium, to artificial turf. The Nighthawk’s historic 2015 season marked their first year of competition on the Hill’s new surface.

“Hill Stadium was already one of the premier softball facilities in Division II, but our move to FieldTurf has truly made it one of the best softball stadiums in the country” UNG head softball coach Mike Davenport said. “Our FieldTurf field offered us superior playability and consistency throughout the season.”

Faced with one of the harshest springs in recent state history, UNG’s new all-weather turf not only provided the Nighthawks with a playable surface but also allowed the University to host several tournaments and games that were relocated due to the scheduled fields being closed, including a last minute tournament hosted in Dahlonega just a day after the North Georgia mountains received four inches of snow. “Instead of cancelling and losing games, we were able to host them at home; saving us travel time and expenses” said Davenport.

The North Georgia softball team wasn’t the only program on campus to benefit from the switch to FieldTurf as the Nighthawk baseball team went the entire season without a rain-out at home on the way to winning their first-ever Peach Belt Conference championship and the UNG women’s soccer team made their deepest run to-date in the NCAA Tournament.

FieldTurf combines the beneficial biomechanical properties of natural grass, with the best attributes of a durable synthetic system’s all-weather playability, low maintenance, safety and high performance. Learn more on FieldTurf’s Baseball & Softball products Here.

FieldTurf is currently the surface of choice of the University of Oregon, University of Minnesota, University of Pittsburgh, and over 350 Collegiate, High School, and Community softball fields.