Penn State Turf Science Alum Hosts 2013 MLB All-Star Game

July 16, 2013 in 2-year, Alumni, events

Mr. Bill Deacon, graduate of Penn State’s Two-Year Program (2000), is hosting this years’ MLB All-Star Game and affiliated activities this week at CitiField, home of the New York Mets. The field hosts the feature game, the homerun derby, and of course the game itself but many are not aware of the numerous other events the field hosts during the four day event.

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“The biggest challenge is the schedule,” explains Deacon. There are dress rehearsals for the main events and a seemingly endless stream of small events occurring on and off during most days. Bill is aided by the many volunteers from the sports turf industry that took off time from their venues to come to New York and help out. Bill said, “the volunteers are great. We couldn’t do everything we want to without them.”

Evan Mascitti, M.S. student of Turf Science at Penn State notes: “The field is in great condition. It never ceases to amaze me at the condition of the lips on these highly maintained fields. If you walk over the lip with your eyes closed, it’s difficult to determine where the grass ends and the infield mix begins.”

Besides the many volunteers, Bill has a number of student interns this year as well, including Penn State Turfgrass Science Junior Ryan Hillert. Ryan is a native New Yorker and has 5 years experience working for the Brooklyn Cyclones. This summer, he’s learning from one of the best in the business.

Read the full article from Penn State Turf…