AP PHOTOS: Mostly volunteer grounds crew's work started long before SEC baseball tournament

In this May 24, 2014 photo, ground crew members spray the field after a game at the Southeastern Conference NCAA college baseball tournament in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (The Associated Press)

In this May 23, 2014 photo, a ground crew member checks on the sprinklers in the outfield at the Southeastern Conference NCAA college baseball tournament in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (The Associated Press)

HOOVER, Ala. – The players and coaches weren't the only ones putting their work on display at the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament.

A 40-man grounds crew included Dan Bergstrom, senior director of field operations for the Houston Astros. The crew labored to keep the field at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in good shape. Bergstrom was able to work the tournament since the Astros were on the road.

The work began three days before the 17-game tournament started on May 20. Bergstrom says the biggest challenge was keeping the playing conditions the same from the first game to the last game on Sunday.

Bill Marbet of Southern Athletic Fields in Columbia, Tennessee, says his crew included six staffers and 34 volunteers.

Bergstrom says the task "is where science and art come together to keep the field consistent for every game."

Here's a collection of images from the ballpark in Alabama.

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