As Auburn gets ready for a new baseball season, Plainsman Park, the home of the Tigers for the past 67 seasons, is also getting ready for a new year.
While coach Butch Thompson brings in 19 newcomers and 17 veterans for the 2019 campaign, Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park, which has been named one of the top venues in the country for college baseball by D1Baseball, has also gone through some changes before the 2019 season.
Not only is the home dugout now dedicated in name to Auburn's winningest coach in program history, Hal Baird, but now both dugouts have been sprayed with a protective coating to protect the dugouts from the unpredictable year-round weather conditions that trouble Auburn — and the rest of Alabama.
Plainsman Park's new dugouts.
Auburn baseball teamed up with the company LINE-X, which specializes in protective coatings used in a number of applications to protect truck bed liners, automotive accessories, commercial, industrial and manufacturing solutions.
“LINE-X was very excited to partner with Auburn to provide a long-lasting solution to the environmental conditions and impact of everyday use," a LINE-X executive told The Plainsman. "First, the original coating was mechanically removed to expose the concrete. Next, a LINE-X primer was applied to provide a self-leveling moisture barrier. Then a LINE-X pure polyurea, which was color matched to Plainsman Park Green was applied to provide the physical properties and the application advantages.
"Lastly, a LINE-X UV stable topcoat was applied that will provide long term UV protection and define all of the logos on top and front side of the dugouts.”
Auburn baseball starts the season Friday at 6 p.m CST, hosting Georgia Southern in the first of a three-game series.
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