Steel & Pipe Supply Ballpark fields close for remainder of year for turf maintenance

Baseball and softball players will have to stay off the fields at the new Steel & Pipe Supply Ballpark in CiCo Park for the rest of the year as the city conducts extensive turfgrass maintenance.

The Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department began work Monday to prepare the facility for the 2027 season. The maintenance project includes aeration, overseeding, topdressing and laser leveling. Crews will spread soil mix across each outfield and laser level the surface to maintain field smoothness, drainage and consistency.

Park superintendent Casey Smithson called the work a proactive investment in the facility's future. Officials are asking the public to stay on sidewalks and off all natural grass areas within the complex, warning that walking or playing on the fields can damage newly seeded turf, compact the soil and delay the grass establishment process.

“Closing the fields now gives the turf and soil plenty of time to get reestablished before the spring season,” Smithson said.

City officials noted that large stockpiles of soil mix and muddy fields are an expected part of the process. While the ball fields are closed to reservations for the rest of the year, the Launch Pad batting tunnels and warm-up area will remain open to the public. Registration for the city's 2027 youth and adult softball and baseball leagues is scheduled to open Jan. 5.

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