CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Coming off back-to-back Southern Conference titles, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball head coach Frank Reed has announced another enhancement to Frost Stadium. Bryan Peeples, President of AstroTurf, the most recognized name in the synthetic-turf industry, and his family have donated their GameDay Grass 3D for the foul areas around the infield.

"The addition of the AstroTurf brings what already is a great stadium to the next level," said Reed. "The appearance of Frost Stadium will now be among the best in the nation thanks to Bryan Peeples [President of AstroTurf] and his family for the donation. Mike Tinch [installer] and Keith Bonnell [site prep] have been instrumental in making sure the turf is installed on time for our Blue-Gold Game this weekend."

A rendering of the completed stadium can be seen above that includes the Power-"C" logo on each foul line, Frost Stadium stamped behind home plate and an AstroTurf logo behind both bases. At this point, the site work has been completed and the turf will be installed in time for the Lady Mocs Blue-Gold Game Saturday Oct. 17 beginning at 10:45 a.m.

"We talked to Frank [Reed] after the season saying that we wanted to bring in something for the event this Saturday," said Mike Tinch of AstroTurf. "I talked to the owners and asked if we could put our logo on the halo that we are doing for the stadium. We decided to donate it for Coach Reed and his softball program to help their cause."

The GameDay Grass 3D is the latest innovation by AstroTurf and the synthetic turf's length can be tailored for any application from softball to football and even home lawns. Turf that will be installed mimics natural grass, while providing superior drainage and traction.

One key difference between the turf that has been previously installed and the surface at Frost Stadium is a new root system technology that allows for less rubber and sand particles to be needed. The root system provides for a denser look with more grass fibers per square foot, thus keeping the rubber and sand particles more stable, so they are not flying out of the product.

AstoTurf has been around since 1966 after its widely publicized use at the Houston Astrodome and they have been the key innovator of synthetic-turf technology. The company is based locally out of Dalton, Ga., but has gone through various name changes over the past 40 years.

 "Chattanooga has a big program and the facility brings in a lot of people from all over each year," said Tinch. "We feel like we will be better able to showcase our product, especially how it looks. We should get calls and inquires about our product from other clients."

Frost Stadium was built in 1997 and holds numerous softball tournaments from children to high school and college to professional teams throughout the year bringing in teams from across the United States. The new turf will open their eyes to the beautiful facilities of the city and the endless possibilities in improving softball facilities.

The Lady Mocs hold their annual Blue-Gold Game on Saturday at 10:45 a.m. where the team plays an intrasquad scrimmage. Before the game, three banners will be unveiled for the Southern Conference Regular Season and Tournament champions and the NCAA Regional appearance as well as the players and coaches receiving their rings commemorating the accomplishment. Afterwards, a free cookout will be provided for fans attending the event, where donations towards the team are accepted.