Ralph McKinzie Field will receive a facelift for next season, one that NIU baseball coach Ed Mathey said was much-needed.

The resurfacing, which began June 24 and is scheduled to end within seven to nine days, will smooth over the infield and help eliminate “bad hops,” making the baseball’s bounce more true.

“We’re ecstatic about it,” Mathey said. “It’s a well-needed addition to Ralph McKinzie Field. It should make our playing surface one of the best in the state.”

The previous field was made of limestone, which absorbs water well and is designed for lower maintenance fields. Limestone also has a few downsides, Mathey said.

“Early in the spring, we could get out there and practice, but limestone hardens very fast,” Mathey said. “The hops coming off of the infield were not very good at all. It was very hard at times because the hops were so sporadic.”

NIU’s new infield will be among the best in the MAC, Mathey said. The NIU coach said the previous field would rank among the poorest in the conference.

The new infield, which is being resurfaced by H&K Enterprises of Appleton, Wis., removed the previous six-inch layer of agricultural limestone and replaced it with four inches of “Baseball Mix” and two inches of “Magic Mix.”

The two mixes were designed and patented by H&K Enterprises to provide superior draining. The top-layer “Magic Mix” is used on a number of professional baseball fields and will provide the reddish tone that has become common on many Major League Baseball fields.

Because the recruiting season opened July 1, the field couldn’t have been completed at a better time, Mathey said.

“There is nothing better than to tell a prospect that our new field is being installed as we speak,” Mathey said. “Pretty soon, we will be able to show prospective student-athletes our fields on visits.”

Mathey also added that the new field will improve his coaching.

“When you’re trying to teach infielders how to field, and they’re doing everything right, but they’re not able to field the ball because of the field itself, they think they’re doing something wrong,” Mathey said. “This will reinforce what we’re teaching them. It’ll also help the games play out better. Eighty to 85 percent of the game takes place on the infield.”