Nov. 15, 2002

FAIRFAX, VA ... George Mason University's Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field has been selected as the 2002 Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Baseball Field of the Year in the College/University division.

Michael W. Sullenberger, Sports Field Manager at George Mason, will accept the award at the STMA Awards Banquet in San Antonio, TX, on Jan. 17, 2003. The awards banquet will be held in conjunction with the annual conference for STMA, which is a non-profit international association of over 2,400 sports turf professionals from schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreation and municipal facilities, and professional stadiums.

According to STMA, the commitment to excellence in overall field quality, safety, playability and appearance earned the honor for Spuhler Field. It is the third honor in as many years for the facility, which placed second nationally in the Beam Clay College Baseball Diamond of the Year Awards in 2001 and was third in 2000.

The Field of the Year Award, the highest honor STMA bestows upon a facility, is presented annually for top maintenance of natural playing surfaces and support facilities in four major sports areas: baseball, softball, football and soccer. Entrants must supply information on the design of the facility, the uses of the facility that impact the playing surface, the organization of the maintenance program and innovative solutions used to overcome playing surface problems. Photos of specific areas of the field must be provided to document the playability and appearance of the playing surface. Each of the five judges on the Awards Committee review the entrants independently, grading them on each aspect of the criteria, and the results of their independent input determine the winning field.

Spuhler Field, which has been the home of the George Mason baseball team since 1986, was cited as a facility that produces consistently superior conditions despite use from January to November with as many as 28 regular season games, over 100 practices, two summer instructional camps, two showcase recruiting events, free agent tryout camps for up to four Major League Baseball organizations and several Georgetown University fall practices.

Sullenberger noted his sports field management crew for Spuhler Field consists of his regular staff (Josh Mehler, Kevin Greeta, Scott Swanner and John Dick), the current Patriot players, pitching coach Shawn Stiffler and former George Mason player Mark Gibbs, who is now playing in the Baltimore Orioles organization.

"They all have a great love for the game," said Sullenberger, "and now they have added a unique respect for and pride in our ballpark. I especially want to thank (Patriot coaches) Bill Brown, Joe Raccuia and Shawn Stiffler, because without their support, this wouldn't be possible."

"The fact that Spuhler Field has now been nationally recognized three years in a row is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of Mike Sullenberger and his staff," said Brown, the George Mason head coach who has spent 21 years at the helm of the baseball program. "The commitment they make allows us to have the privilege of competing on one of the finest playing surfaces in college baseball."