How to Make a Ball Field Drain

Baseball can be played almost anywhere for fun. But a baseball field that doesn't absorb water is useless. A wet infield is slippery and dangerous. While professional clubs often cover the infield to protect it from rain, the entire outfield is left open to the elements. Playing on a wet field can damage the turf and gouge holes in the field. Rain that collects in the outfield can take hours or days to dry, preventing play. Large puddles indicate low areas that cause the ball to hop or skip, even when dry.

Things You'll Need

  • Grader or backhoe with grading blade
  • Level
  • Collection pipes
  • PVC T joints
  • Perforated underground drainage pipes
  • Gravel
  • Sand
  • Peat moss
  • Roller
  • Crushed clay
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Instructions

    • 1

      Grade the entire field to a 1 percent grade. You can remove the earth or build the field on top of existing dirt. The highest point should be the site of the future pitcher's mound.

    • 2

      Lay the collection pipes. The collection pipes should be placed every 60 feet and radiate outward from the pitcher's mound and lead to the edge of the field.

    • 3

      Connect the perforated drainage pipes to the collection pipes using the PVC T joints. The drainage pipes are spaced every 20 feet over the entire field.

    • 4

      Cover all of the pipes with 4 inches of gravel.

    • 5

      Mix the sand and peat moss. The exact proportions will depend on your climate and the groundskeepers preference. Colder climates usually require more peat moss to protect the roots of the grass. Minnesota or New York Ball fields may use a 50/50 mix of sand and peat moss. In some warmer climates, such as Florida, sand alone may be used.

    • 6

      Cover the field with 12 to 14 inches of the sand mixture.

    • 7

      Cover the outfield in sod. Roll the sod to adhere it to the sand level and prevent low areas.

    • 8

      Cover the infield with four to 6 inches of infield skin. This is a mixture of sand, clay and silt. The entire mixture is finely ground. The batter's box and the pitcher's mound can have a higher concentration of clay and silt to provide better traction while allowing water to drain through to the pipes below.