JL Murphy Baseball
Creating a State-of-the-Art Baseball Field for Port Melbourne
Victoria

The existing baseball diamond had reached the end of its useful life. The deteriorating clay mound and bases presented safety risks, particularly around the pitcher’s mound and batter’s boxes, where wear was most pronounced. Additionally, maintaining traditional surfaces involved significant upkeep, a factor that prompted the search for more sustainable options. 

A baseball field is unique compared to other sports fields due to its combination of various surfaces and the presence of a fixed element—the pitcher's mound—elevated significantly above the surrounding area at the centre of the diamond. 

SPORTENG’s design incorporated natural turf surrounding the pitching mound and synthetic turf in place of traditional dirt or clay for the infield, which significantly reduces wear and tear between the bases and minimises ongoing maintenance. Using traditional methods, the Pitcher’s Plate incorporates clay bricks positioned with a clay mound and a rubber pitching plate secured in place with scoria. The Home Base incorporates clay bricks for the left- and right-hand batter’s boxes and the catcher’s box, again covered in scoria, with a rubber home plate at its centre. To enhance fielding safety, a synthetic warning track was also installed at the fenced perimeter, a necessary component so a fielder can remain focused on a fly ball near the fence and measure their proximity to the fence while attempting to catch the ball safely. 

SPORTENG supported the City of Port Phillip with Construction Phase Quality Assurance, including witness and hold point material review and approval, to ensure the contractor was building the pitch to the design specifications.  

Our turf agronomy team also provided advice on turf selection and establishment, which ensured the natural turf elements of the pitch were well established at completion.  

The upgraded baseball field at JL Murphy Reserve provides a state-of-the-art baseball facility for the Port Melbourne Mariners Baseball Club and the wider Port Melbourne community. The inclusion of synthetic turf for the infield offers a robust solution that reduces maintenance for the club.

Construction Phase services provided by SPORTENG ensured that the pitch was both technically correct and built to specifications, vital for a specialised Field of Play like baseball, which remains relatively uncommon in Australia.