As Droner said, all of the field it turf except for the pitchers mound. It's the same turf on the "skinned" part of the infield and on the warning track, just a different color to make it look like a real baseball field.
In some places, Vandy and UofL included, the pitcher's mound is even turf. And there isn't a "real" home plate on the new turf fields. The plate is turf, as well.
A lot of the local high schools haveeven gone to turf around the plate area.
I'm not a big fan of turf for baseball, but I understand why they have gone that direction. With college baseball starting in January and going through the traditional rainy part of the year here, it's necessary. UT doesn't have a seperate practice area, so they have to use the stadium for everything. Plus it's giving them the opportunity to host more high school tourneys and fall and summer showcase events that are such a big part of recruiting now.
Bottom line - Vitello has them playing hard and looking like an SEC team for the first time in a decade. He wanted the turf, and as long as the program improves then so be it.
Interesting. I thought it would a least be "simulated" dirt, like the rubber pellets they use with artificial surfaces in football. Seems like sliding and pitching especially would be very different on a "grass" surface.
