Bulldog Baseball Park now has a warning track after the Truman State University Board of Governors approved the project in spring 2017.
The warning track is the part of the baseball field that is closest to the wall or fence and is typically made of dirt instead of grass or artificial turf. It runs parallel to the ballpark’s wall and looks like a running track. The purpose of the warning track is to act as an alarm system, alerting a player chasing a ball they are nearing the fence.
Dave Rector, vice president for administration, finance and planning, said the total cost for the project was $58,762. This number included advertising for bids and minor fence repair down the first base line, around the bullpen. He explained the project was funded through the athletic fee.
Truman Director of Athletics Jerry Wollmering said the warning track was an important and necessary project for the athletic department because it is highly recommended in the NCAA rules book that a warning track exist in front of the outfield fence, backstop and dugout areas.
The project was completed in August 2017 so it would be ready for Truman’s baseball season this spring. The company that constructed the warning track was Houska Inc., a landscape company based out of Foristell, Missouri. The company also specializes in golf course construction and landscape construction.