The words “rained out” bring to mind a nearly empty grandstand, soggy employees pulling on the tarp, and players heading for the locker room. But not for the Savannah Bananas (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League). (more…)
Archive | Visits
Revisiting Old Favorites: Franklin Rogers Park, Mankato
We’ve been visiting Franklin Rogers Park since the earliest days of the summer-collegiate Northwoods League, when the Mankato Mashers featured the likes of Curtis Granderson and Paul McAnulty in the lineup circa 2001. Boy, has the place changed since then. (more…)
Revisiting Old Favorites: Athletic Park, Wausau
One of the joys of working in the baseball world is being pleasantly surprised by ballpark changes happening over long periods of time—something made clear with a visit Sunday to Athletic Park, home of the Wisconsin Woodchucks (summer collegiate; Northwoods League). (more…)
GCU Ballpark: An Oasis in the Desert
In college baseball, we’re clearly in the midst of a facilities arms war, with programs upgrading new ballparks to attract the best players and coaches. With the new GCU Ballpark, Phoenix’s Grand Canyon University has implemented a fine college ballpark that should please fans, players and coaches. (more…)
UVA Begins New Era at Disharoon Park
Davenport Field at Disharoon Park is entering a new phase of its history. A recent expansion has not only bolstered its role as the home of University of Virginia baseball, but has made it more competitive with other Division I facilities by providing fresh amenities for the player, coach, and fan experiences. (more…)
Buies Creek Astros / Jim Perry Stadium
In a few years, the current Buies Creek Astros (High A; Carolina League) will exist in a much different form. The franchise is currently awaiting the completion of a new downtown Fayetteville ballpark, where it is expected to begin play in 2019 under a new name that reflects their change in surroundings. (more…)
Sewell-Thomas Stadium/Alabama Crimson Tide
To the tune of $42.5 million, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide transformed venerable Sewell-Thomas Stadium into a state-of-the-art facility. That enhancement made its opening one of the most anticipated aspects of this NCAA Division I Baseball season, and a visit to the ballpark shows that it lives up to the hype. (more…)
Monongalia County Ballpark / West Virginia Black Bears / WVU Mountaineers
As one of the newest facilities in MiLB and NCAA Division I, Monongalia County Ballpark has opened to plenty of hype. After our visit, it is safe to say the recognition is warranted, as it offers a fine experience for both the Morgantown Black Bears (Short Season A; NY-Penn League) and the West Virginia Mountaineers. […]
New life at Phoenix Municipal Stadium
Spring-training trips are usually too short, so fans are always looking to maximize their experiences. In Arizona, there’s an easy way to create your own doubleheader: Add an evening ASU Sun Devils game at their new home, Phoenix Municipal Stadium. (more…)
Simmons Field / Kenosha Kingfish
This, friends, is why summer-collegiate leagues exist: to provide new life to old ballparks – evidenced by the makeover of Simmons Field, home of the Northwoods League’s Kenosha Kingfish. A successful business model for summer-collegiate ball is pretty simple: take an old ballpark formerly used for minor-league or industrial-league play, fix it up, and play […]
Curtis Granderson Stadium / University of Illinois at Chicago Flames
It’s already one of the finer college ballparks in the Midwest, but the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) has bigger plans for Curtis Granderson Stadium: serving the needs of thousands of young baseball players in the city. The new ballpark is named for UIC graduate Curtis Granderson, whose $5-million gift — thought to be […]
Alfond Stadium at Harper-Shepherd Field / Rollins College Tars / Winter Park Diamond Dawgs
Tucked away off Winter Park’s main drag, Alfond Stadium at Harper-Shepherd Field has hosted baseball since 1926 and is home to one of the great traditional college-baseball tournaments, Baseball Week. FAST FACTS Dedicated: 1983Capacity: 1,000Surface: GrassOwner: Rollins CollegeWebsite: rollinssports.comOnline Ticket Sales: YesPhone: 407/646-2328Teams: Rollins College Tars (Sunshine State Conference), Winter Park Diamond Dawgs (Florida Collegiate Summer League)Address: 801 N. […]
Updated: Duck Pond, Madison Mallards
We’ve updated our look at Warner Park (aka “The Duck Pond”), as the Madison Mallards (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) unveil upgrades for the 2012 season. You can read about the changes here. The short of it: the team added a berm in left field (complete with coin-operated viewer, as shown above) and new Duck Blind […]