Project Snapshot
Client: St. John’s School
Location: Houston, Texas
Facility Type: High School Baseball Field
Sq. Ft. of Netting: 55,500 sq ft
Services: Custom-engineered sports safety netting design, fabrication & installation
Setting the Stage: Why Safety Netting Matters
Foul balls injure fans, damage property, and create the kind of headlines every facility wants to avoid. Advocacy groups (such as Foul Ball Safety Now) have documented thousands of dangerous balls leaving the field at high speeds, often because netting isn’t tall enough or doesn’t extend far enough to protect real risk zones. According to research conducted by FiveThirtyEight, 49.9% of foul balls land in areas past the dugouts where many ballparks lack netting. Further, their research concluded that most of the hardest-hit of those foul balls traveled primarily through areas unprotected by netting.
In dense areas near roads, buildings, or walkways, that danger multiplies. One foul ball can become an insurance claim, a safety incident, or a reputational hit. Children are especially vulnerable to serious injury.
With 30+ years focused solely on sports safety netting, Nets of Texas knows how field layout, height, and surrounding space shape the right protection plan.
St. John’s School, situated on one of Houston’s busiest corners, was a prime example.
The Challenge
St. John’s School built a new baseball field in one of Houston’s busiest areas: Buffalo Speedway and West Alabama Street, surrounded by traffic, nearby buildings, and walkways.
From the start, Nets of Texas recommended a 75-foot-high extensive netting system covering both the first and third base lines to contain foul balls and safeguard nearby property and pedestrian areas. They also needed outfield netting to protect a metal building just beyond the left field fence.
However, the client opted for a 60-foot version, believing it would be sufficient and more visually balanced.
The result? During the very first game, two foul balls cleared the net and hit parked cars. Nets of Texas’ original assessment proved correct, and safety quickly became the priority.
The Solution
- #36 nylon netting custom suspension backstop system
- 679 feet of 60-foot-tall netting
- 50-foot-high, 120-foot-long barrier behind the outfield
- 15-foot netting system extension
Nets of Texas designed and installed a custom suspension backstop system featuring #36 nylon netting and painted black steel poles engineered for vertical extension if needed.
The original installation included 679 feet of 60-foot-tall netting down both foul lines (roughly 40,700 sq. ft. of coverage), along with an additional 50-foot-high, 120-foot-long barrier behind the outfield for protection of nearby property.
Despite the high-quality system, two foul balls cleared the 60-foot net during the very first game, striking nearby vehicles, confirming that Nets of Texas’ initial safety recommendation was correct.
One year later, St. John’s called the team back to extend the system to the originally proposed 75 feet, adding another 8,760 sq. ft. of coverage.
Implementation
Working in a dense, high-traffic environment required careful planning and collaboration with the architects, general contractor, and school administrators.
Nets of Texas completed the original installation rapidly after the initial call, ensuring the field was ready for the upcoming season. When the extension was approved the following year, our crew:
- Installed new, taller poles engineered to meet the upgraded height
- Laid temporary plywood roads to protect the finished turf
- Completed the new system without disrupting school operations
- Secured, tensioned, and certified the netting to engineered specifications
The two-phase process demonstrated our team’s flexibility, field experience, and ability to solve problems quickly.
The Results
- Safety achieved: After the 75-ft extension, foul-ball escapes dropped to nearly zero, and no further extensions have been needed since.
- Community peace of mind: Students, spectators, and neighbors can enjoy the game without worrying about damage or injury.
- Aesthetic & longevity: The sleek black system enhances the look of the field while standing up to Houston’s humid, hot weather.
- An enduring partnership: St. John’s has since chosen Nets of Texas for its softball backstop, indoor and outdoor batting cages, as well as other miscellaneous barrier netting projects around campus.
Key Takeaways
- Experience matters. Three decades of exclusively designing sports netting systems leads to more accurate, site-specific height and coverage recommendations.
- Comprehensive service delivers better outcomes. By handling design, engineering, manufacturing, and installation in-house, Nets of Texas offers seamless execution and rapid turnaround, with the scope completed in a couple of days after the field was prepped and contractors readied.
- Safety pays off. Correct net height prevents incidents, reduces liability, and builds confidence among spectators and stakeholders.
- Design flexibility is essential. Smart engineering allows netting systems to grow with the facility when safety needs evolve.
Ready to Protect Your Venue?
When it comes to safety netting, experience matters. With 30+ years of proven experience, Nets of Texas helps you get it right the first time — protecting your fans, your facility, and your reputation.
