In recognition for his work at Isotopes Park, Albuquerque Isotopes head groundskeeper Craig Sampsell has received a Presidential Commendation from the Pacific Coast League.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by PCL but it’s certainly not a one-man job,” Sampsell said. “Without the contributions of Ryan Coleman, Davin Sandia, Clint Belau and our game-day staff, this honor wouldn’t be achievable. I’m also extremely fortunate to have a dedicated front office staff and organization that works tirelessly to ensure our field is in its best condition everyday.”
Sampsell is in his first season as Head Groundskeeper with the Isotopes.
Originally from Indiana, Sampsell had been the Head Groundskeeper of the Double-A San Antonio Missions from 2015-16. Prior to San Antonio, Sampsell worked for Ryan-Sanders Baseball as groundskeeper at the University of Houston. Sampsell also spent five seasons as an assistant with the Triple-A Louisville Bats.
“This recognition is well deserved and says a lot about the talents and efforts of the entire grounds crew,” Isotopes General Manager John Traub said. “Craig, Ryan, Davin and Clint, in addition to the game-day employees, should all feel a tremendous amount of pride with this distinction. The field – it’s aesthetics and playability – is such a big part of who we are and is a great representation of our organization.”
This is just the latest award for the highly-decorated Isotopes Park grounds crew, having previously won PCL Groundskeeper of the Year in 2007, 2008, 2014 and 2016, as well as the Triple-A award in 2008 and 2016, Professional Field of the Year in 2007 and 2013, Collegiate Field of the Year in 2004, and multiple other PCL honorable mentions.
Images courtesy Albuquerque Isotopes.