How to Manage Pitcher's Mound and Batter's Boxes on a Budget

Not all facilities and programs have the budget to fully construct these areas with Turface® Mound Clay® or MoundMaster® Blocks, although properly constructed mounds and batter's boxes take less time to maintain. Also, once constructed these features require a level of maintenance and water resources to maintain. You can receive the safety and stability benefits of using top quality mound clay if you focus on key areas and are willing to slightly increase maintenance practices.

Turface Mound Clay is provided in 50 pound bags and MoundMaster Blocks are available in 8 block sealed bags. Purchase a couple of bags of clay and as many bags of blocks as you can afford, then prioritize your areas for reconstruction.

To learn how to work with these materials, follow the detailed instructions in the "How to Construct a Pitcher's Mound" section.

  1. Front of pitching rubber – the proper area to rebuild is 24″ w x 6″ deep in front of the rubber. After preparing the hole per "How to Build the Slope" section's instructions, take 6 blocks and turn them on edge so the 2.5″ x 8″ side is up. Make 3 pairs of blocks pressed together to form one "block" 5″ wide by 8″ long by 4″ tall. Place these sets end to end across the front edge or the rubber.

  2. Pitcher’s landing area – look for the "hole" in the front of the mound where most of your pitcher's land. Trace out a rectangle 24″ x 32″ around this hole. This will serve as your landing area to be filled with 24 blocks.
  3. Back foot placement in both batter's boxes – look for the "hole" in the back or each batter's box. Trace an area in each box 24″ x 16″ to be filled with 16 blocks per box.

Once created, these areas can be maintained with Turface Mound Clay, a gardening can of water and a tamp. Use a gardening can with a head to dissipate the flow of water so you do not wash away the infield mix and topdressing. Follow the instructions in the "Pitcher's Mound Maintenance" section for how to maintain the clay materials. For a tarp you can use an inexpensive plastic drop cloth or tarp. To weigh it down you can make weights out of milk jugs of sand, paint cans of rocks or similar sturdy containers with handles for easy carrying. With limited manpower and water resources it will help to ask coaches, umpires or other people on-site to assist with water by consistently using the gardening can to wet these priority areas.