News: Bristol Connecticut’s Muzzy Field named as 2025 Field of the Year
| Date Published |
Author |
| 2/18/2026 12:00:00 AM |
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Bristol Connecticut’s Muzzy Field named as 2025 Field of the Year
Top honor awarded by the Sports Field Management Association
Bristol, CT – [February 20, 2026] Bristol, Connecticut’s Muzzy Field has been named the 2025 Schools and Parks Baseball Field of the Year by the Sports Field Management Association (SFMA). The award marks a historic first for fields in the state of Connecticut and recognizes Muzzy Field for having the best natural grass across all municipal parks, private schools, and public schools in North America.
Bristol’s Athletics and Ballfields Supervisor, Doug Trillo, was presented with the award at the 37th Annual Sports Field Management Association (SFMA) Conference and Exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas last month and honored during a Press Conference announcing the award on Wednesday, February 18th. Trillo said, “It’s a huge honor and a testament to the care, energy and money invested into the facility”.
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“The history of Muzzy Field is rich and its long-standing history and exceptional maintenance is made possible thanks to two trust funds established by a philanthropist nearly a hundred years ago. We spend a lot of time investing in the infrastructure. The field is just the best and most notable accomplishment,” said Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu.
While recognizing the award on Wednesday, Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services (BPRYCS) Superintendent Dr. Josh Medeiros stated, “This highly-regarded honor is the top award in the industry. The Field of the Year is awarded to natural grass fields that exhibit excellent playability and safety and whose managers utilize innovative solutions, effectively use their budgets, and have implemented a comprehensive agronomic program.”
Muzzy Field, which turned 110 years old in 2024, has long been regarded as one of Connecticut finest baseball facilities and is now host to the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Championships and the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s (NECBL) Bristol Blues, a summer-collegiate team drawing players from top universities around the country.
“The recognition is especially meaningful for a crew that typically works behind the scenes”, Trillo went on to say. “Without our staff, we would not be able to achieve this award.”
The Athletics and Ballfields Maintenance staff includes Matthew Newton, Cody Lombardi, Jaden Laprise, Kevin Dragon, Brian Beaudoin, George Richter, and Matthew D’Amato. Collectively, the crew has devoted over 75 years to the BPRYCS department and have all poured countless hours of hard work and dedication into making Muzzy Field one of the highest quality and safest playing surfaces in North America.
“When you’re a young child, you want to play on Muzzy Field,” continued Mayor Zoppo-Sassu. “When you’re an older person, you remember the glory days of playing on Muzzy Field. Many of the Athletics and Ballfields maintenance staff who manage the field played on it themselves when they were younger, their children play here now, and their parents remember playing on it when they were growing up”.
Trillo also highlighted specific field management techniques and sciences used at Muzzy Field, noting “a new mound is constructed every single season, an extensive and precise process, laser grading the infield, home plate, and baselines multiple times per season, as well as de-thatching and over seeding the grass religiously”.
SFMA is a non-profit, professional association for the 2,700 men and women who manage sports fields worldwide. Every year, they shine the spotlight on members who managed and provided quality, safe playing surfaces through the Field of the Year Program. The awards are given in three categories: professional level, college and university level, and schools and parks level.
