Wichita KS - The Sports Field Management Association and Wichita Wind Surge have announced that Equity Bank Park, the home of the Wind Surge, has been named the 2025 Professional Baseball Field of the Year. The SFMA Field of the Year honor is awarded to the best natural grass field among all 120 teams across all levels of affiliated Minor League Baseball. This marks the first time that the Wind Surge have won this particular prestigious Field of the Year award.
The home of the Wind Surge has been honored numerous times with various Field of the Year awards. Texas League Groundskeeper of the Year in 2022 and 2023 and Ben Hartman was named Class AA Groundskeeper of the Year in 2023.
"Winning this award is a huge honor and I am excited to add this to the list of our accomplishments. We have set a high standard and it's outstanding to be recognized by my peers. The crew is the real winners, because without them none of this would be possible." Stated Wind Surge Director of Field Operations Ben Hartman.
The Sports Field Management Association (SFMA) announced its 2025 Field of the Year award winners. This prestigious award spotlights the individuals and programs that excelled this year in providing quality, safe playing surfaces.
Every year, SFMA presents the industry’s highest honor to members who manage baseball, football, soccer, softball, and other sporting grounds at the professional, collegiate, school (K-12), and parks and recreation levels.
Equity Bank Park hosted 69 Wind Surge games, a pair of football games, four concerts, a marathon and 30 additional high school/college baseball games. The staff also endured 49 tarp pulls in 2025. Wichita experienced a very wet year in 2025, ending with a total rainfall of 40.45 inches (6.14 inches above average), significantly above the 30-year average, making it one of the wettest years on record.