FIELD OF THE YEAR COLLEGE BASEBALL
SportsField Management( SFM): Congratulations on the Field of the Year win. What are you most proud of with this win? Joe Stumpo: I’ m most proud of what we’ ve been able to accomplish in the three seasons we’ ve been here from where this field was upon our arrival to Georgia Southern. None of it would be possible without the dedication from my assistant, Matt McCutcheon, and what he’ s done; our two grad assistants we’ ve had in that time— Javier Fleek-Quiros and Jonah Doyle— and the tireless effort from our student worker group that have been here from the beginning and have really taken off in the sports turf realm.
SFM: What were the biggest challenges you have faced with the winning field, and how have you approached those challenges? Stumpo: The biggest challenge we face is balancing J. I. with all of the other athletic fields and sports we have here with the goal of providing the same TLC to all on a somewhat limited budget and staffing numbers. J. I. from a playing surface standpoint is on the older side, so weather around the beginning of baseball season can be a challenge with the sporadic weather patterns we experience here in southeast Georgia.
SFM: Can you share a little about your overall management approach to the winning field and what you feel have been the most important aspects to getting this field to an award-winning level? Stumpo: In our approach at J. I. we try our best to mimic practices that we used in the professional baseball setting and replicate that here from a field playability standpoint, but also the overall experience for our athletes and staff. Baseball means a lot here at Georgia Southern, and is rich in history and winning; so our goal is to not only provide the best playing surface in the Sun Belt Conference, but in the country. Although it may be a small part in the process, we hope that when guys are here for a visit, they see the field and say“ wow.” sportsfieldmanagementonline. com October 2025 | SportsField Management
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