MARION - A major change was made to Rent One Park's playing surface this year. Yet, it takes a keen eye to notice it.

The pitching mound, which had been covered with artificial turf the past two years, is now regulation dirt.

"First of all, I loved the old mound," said Miners manager Mike Pinto. "I really did. Our pitchers came in reluctant. After they pitched on it, they liked it. It was soft on the legs. The landing area was always maintained.

"The problem is it was a wood base underneath. With all the rain we had in the offseason, that thing rotted underneath. Now, all of a sudden, the base underneath it is breaking down, which caused the area above it to break down."

The Miners knew after last season something would have to be done about the mound.

"They couldn't seem to come up with the technology for us to put the artificial turf on there," Pinto said. "The next best alternative was, let's find a dirt mound.

"I was at an American Baseball Coaches convention in January and walking around I saw this exhibit with this guy that makes this very unique mound. That is a portable mound that is out there. He showed me his stuff. I called (Miners vice-president) Erik (Haag) that night and said, 'Listen, I'd check this thing out. I think you need to talk to this guy.'"

Building a mound entails a lot more than throwing a bunch of dirt on a pile.

"In the beginning, we had a problem," Pinto said. "It was so dry it would dry out the clay. He came up with a whole new compound.

"The guy has just been extremely dedicated, making sure we have the best mound in the league. He rebuilt all the mounds, the game mound, the bullpen mounds. He's been here at least three times."

The change has been well-received by most pitchers and coaches.

"I think it's been an adjustment for the guys who are returning, just having a different surface again," said Miners pitcher coach Brendan Sagara. "It's not anything foreign. Everyone has grown up pitching on dirt.

"For the pitchers, they get more traction with the dirt. The drive leg is probably the same, but I think when the stride leg hits on the turf the tendency is for guys to spin out on their foot as opposed to being able to dig in with their cleats and drive toward home."

Pitcher Jake McMurran gave the new mound his seal of approval.

"I definitely prefer dirt over turf because I use dirt more than I use rosin on the mound," he said. "I like to use dirt to kind of scuff up a new ball and keep my hands dry. It's kind of hard to rub rubber pellets on your hand.

"The turf mound is good. It keeps its slope the whole season. It's hard to mess up the frame. A dirt mound is how you should pitch. It's what I've been throwing off my whole life. No complaints, but I'd rather stick with what I've done my whole life."

les.winkeler@thesouthern.com / 618-351-5088