Isaiah Lienau Receives PCL Groundskeeper of the Year Award

As the groundskeeper for Las Vegas Ballpark®, home of the Las Vegas Aviators® professional baseball team, Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, BrightView works hard to carefully maintain and make the ballfield one of the best in Minor League Baseball.

In recognition of the groundcrew’s effort this past season, BrightView’s Isaiah Lienau was awarded the 2022 Minor League Baseball Groundskeeper of the Year for the Pacific Coast League.

“Winning this award was a great honor,” Lienau said. “The standards at Las Vegas Ballpark have always been to be the best of the best in every aspect and I’m glad we were able to continue the expectations that have been set forth with this recognition.”

Lienau and his team work hard to be one of the best in the business, but it hasn’t come with its challenges in an environment like that of Las Vegas.

“The desert climate can make things difficult at times with the excessive heat we receive during the summer months, and with any playing surface, moisture management of the clay areas is always priority No. 1," he said. "Being able to know when and how much water to apply is always first and foremost in my mind all day long and making sure that once the players hit the field, they are playing on the best product we can deliver. Finding that perfect balance is something that comes with a lot of experience.”

And experience is something Lienau has plenty of, having been a part of several unique games throughout his career, including both MLB at Field of Dreams games in his home state of Iowa.

“Working for BrightView Sports Turf and Murray Cook has given me more experiences in the game than I would have ever dreamed of,” he said. “Being able to support the London Series, Field of Dreams, and the Little League Classics are events that I will always remember.”

Lienau joined the Aviators in 2020 and has been a huge asset to the organization from the moment he stepped onto the turf.

“Isaiah is very hardworking and very deserving of the recognition,” said Don Logan, President and Chief Operating Officer for the Aviators. “Taking care of grass in the desert is not an easy task and to do it at the level he does is amazing.”

Winning this award was a highlight addition to Lienau’s ever-growing resumé, but he won’t stop at this and is already planning to “defend” the title next season.

“Working for the Aviators has been an extremely rewarding experience and I want to thank Don, Peter Riley of the Howard Hughes Corp., the entire organization, and BrightView for their support,” Lienau said. “We’re looking forward to the upcoming season and trying to win the award again.”