DuraEdge has partnered with the Minnesota Baseball Association to become the Official Infield Material Experts for the 2023 season.

Paul Zwaska, former MLB Head Groundskeeper with the Baltimore Orioles, current DuraEdge Business Development Specialist in the Midwest discusses the partnership and how it materialized:

Coby (Schmucker), the DuraEdge National Bulk Sales Manager, brought this to my attention when I took over this region in the Midwest.  He said, “You should check out this Minnesota Town Ball (as they call it) on Fox 9, out of Minneapolis.”  They televise several games there each season locally, and as I began doing more research, I was blown away at how serious they take baseball there and the pride these small towns in Minnesota take in how they keep their ballparks.  

One thing I learned, while raising children, especially an athlete, is that these small towns gravitate to their youth sports more than a bigger city.  Basically, there are less things to do, than what a bigger city offers to its residents.  Therefore, it becomes a really big deal in these small towns.  They are passionate about it and it shows in how they take such pride in how they represent their towns.  It becomes a competitiveness between these small towns that is really unique.  The Minnesota Baseball Association, which is an adult amateur association, is no different in that respect.

I eventually reached out to Mike Nagel and as we began to talk we really hit it off.  While I worked with Beacon Athletics, I was very involved in the Madison Little League (WI) and got to see how operating a youth facility was compared to an MLB ballpark.  What Mike and the Minnesota Baseball Association operated was very similar and it helped us relate to one another.  I really felt we needed to become a sponsor as it seemed like a perfect fit.  They have around 270 ballparks involved across the state.  I am excited to help educate and assist them in any way I can to make these fields the best possible playing surfaces they can be.

This summer, we will be hosting a Field Day at one of the main ballparks that will host the end of the season championships, Delano Municipal Baseball Park.  Many fields in the area utilize Ag Lime and we will be performing a Field Saver amendment with FS50 in order to improve the playability of one of the crown jewels of the Town Ball circuit.

“We are proud to welcome DuraEdge to the Minnesota Baseball Association team of corporate sponsors,” said Mike Nagel, Secretary and Treasurer of the MBA. “The education and know-how they will bring to our groundskeepers will vault our already beautiful fields to a new level.”

For more information, visit:https://www.mnbaseball.org/