Safeshell Warning Tracks Enhance Artificial Turf Baseball Field Performance and Safety

Artificial baseball fields require more nuance and planning than other synthetic turf sports fields because of their many unique and important features. As field owners and baseball lovers know, one of the most essential safety attributes of a baseball field is the warning track.

The aptly named warning track has one main purpose: to keep players safe. The surface texture of the warning track is different from that of the main field. As players chase flyballs in the outfield, they feel and hear themselves on the surface of the warning track as soon as they’re on it. The tactile and auditory cues immediately let players know when they’re close to the edge of the field, and a wall or fence, too. Installing a proper warning track is essential to keeping outfielders safe while they focus on catching the ball.

Knock it Out of The Park With a Safeshell Warning Track

Safeshell is the best turf infill for warning tracks in artificial turf baseball fields. It’s different from other infill products in four distinct ways.

1. Audible Cue

Safeshell has a unique texture that’s leveraged during installation so that players will hear it underfoot as soon as they make contact with it. The sound of cleats on a Safeshell infilled warning track is very noticeable. Most turf infill products, tend to be much “quieter.” Safeshell isn’t typically noisy, but in warning track applications, it is intentionally filled all the way up to the top fibers of the turf, so that the surface is audible when athletes run on it.

2. Feel Underfoot

Ready for a curveball? Safeshell is made from a very beneficial material: crushed walnut shells. It’s a high-performing (and completely natural!) turf infill with a very distinctive underfoot feel that players in the outfield notice.

3. Limited Product Migration

Grain for grain, Safeshell is a higher density turf infill product than other natural infills. High density turf infill grains prevent migration and are more cost-effective than warning tracks with other infill products because they require less topping off as more of the product is retained in the system. The high-density surface is an important factor in the auditory and tactile attributes of Safeshell warning tracks, too.

4. No Turf Fiber Degradation and Mess

Safeshell is a non-toxic, high-performance infill that’s made from 100% natural materials. It’s leagues ahead of the commonly used materials in warning track applications. Clay, for instance, is messy and mixes with other components of your field’s turf system, while rocks and sand could prematurely degrade the artificial turf fibers, shorten your turf’s life span and compromise field performance.

Play Ball With Safeshell

Schools and facilities across the country choose to install Safeshell warning tracks on their synthetic turf baseball fields because it’s the best infill for warning tracks.

Read all about synthetic turf applications in baseball fields with Safeshell and Envirofill! And check out these examples of Safeshell warning tracks in fields across the US.

Artificial Turf Baseball Fields with Safeshell Warning Tracks

Keli McGregor Field at Coca-Cola All-Star Park in Lakewood, CO installed a Safeshell warning track at their professional level facilities in 2020.

Kent-Meridian High School in Washington State switched to a Safeshell warning track in 2019. Read this case study to learn about their installation process, turf system, and sports complex.

East Central High School in St. Leon, Indiana, installed a Safeshell warning track in their school’s artificial turf baseball field.

Ready to Learn More?

Cruise over to our blog posts on the subject:

• Artificial Turf Baseball Fields 101
• Best Synthetic Turf for Baseball

Download this super handy Baseball 1-Pager for more details on how to install a baseball field with cooler surfaces, reduced maintenance, non marking infill and minimal fly-out. 

Contact us today with any questions for your upcoming synthetic turf baseball field. Let’s play ball!