The Lee baseball team has won the award for the 2021 Tennessee Turfgrass Association (TTA) Collegiate Sports Field of the Year.

Lee Vice President of Operations, Cole Strong oversaw the construction of Larry Carpenter Stadium and noted, "This is a great honor for Lee University, as well as Coach Brew and this staff who work tirelessly to maintain and care for the Larry Carpenter Stadium at Olympic Field facility year-round, along with Larry Berry, our director of Physical Plant, and his team. We are thrilled to by the recipient of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association Collegiate Field of the Year."

Head coach Mark Brew noted, "Larry Carpenter Stadium at Olympic Field has become one of the top facilities and playing surfaces in the southeast.  A joint venture of hard work from the Lee Baseball Coaching staff and our Physical Plant department, led by Larry Berry, has helped create a place our student-athletes can be proud of," said Brew. "We are honored to be recognized as the 2021 Collegiate Field of the Year by the Tennessee Turfgrass Association."

The Flames have enjoyed playing on the award-winning grass over the last couple years. Lee has posted a 44-20 record at home over the last three seasons.

Coach Brew and his staff will receive the prestigious award at the 56^th Annual TTA Conference on January 10^, 2022, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The Flames will join with the Tennessee Smokies (Double A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) who claimed the Professional Sports Field of the Year honor. Awards are also given out to public and private golf courses, high school fields, and municipal fields in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Turfgrass Association represents the turfgrass industry across the state. The association is comprised of passionate individuals working on golf courses, sports fields, lawns, landscapes, and sod production, as well as vendors supporting these industries.