Photos courtesy Seton Hall Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.29 Owen T. Carroll Field 400 South Orange Ave South Orange, NJ 07079 Seton Hall Pirates website Owen T. Carroll Field website Year Opened: 1907 Capacity: 1,800 Pirates Baseball in South Orange Owen T. Carroll Field has been the home of the Seton Hall University baseball team since 1907. The field underwent a 6.5 million dollar renovation in 2006. The renovation included the addition of field turf. In June of 2010, the field turf was replaced. Carroll Field is located on the campus of Seton Hall University. The field is named for Owen T. Carroll, who coached the Pirates from 1948-1972. The field is located near the Richie Regan Athletic Center, where the Seton Hall women’s basketball team plays. Food & Beverage 0 There is no concession stand at Owen T. Carroll Field. There are many places to purchase food in the town of South Orange, and a few options on the Seton Hall campus. There is no alcohol allowed since this field is on a college campus. Atmosphere 2 The atmosphere at a Seton Hall baseball game is very subdued. There is a PA announcer who does a solid job at introducing the players and adding some enthusiasm. There is walkup music for each player on the Pirates, as well as between innings. There are 2 large bleacher sections near the dugouts, and a small area behind home plate. There are also bleachers in the outfield. These seats are generally used for the soccer games, as the Seton Hall soccer squad plays on the same field as the baseball team. Some fans also stand on the parking deck along the third baseline to get a different perspective of the game. There are also some giveaways throughout the season. Schedules, player posters, and other giveaways and promotions are seen during the year. Neighborhood 3 Owen T. Carroll Field is on the campus of Seton Hall University. The village of South Orange is relatively safe, even though it borders the city of Newark, which has a reputation as a dangerous place. Fans looking for some dining options can go into the village, which is right down South Orange Ave. There are plenty of dining options and even a movie theater. The village of South Orange is a typical college town. You will see many storefronts that support Seton Hall University athletics. There are many things to do and see in the village, which is a short walk down South Orange Ave. Fans 1 The fans at Seton Hall baseball games are generally family members.Some students come to the games, and there are also family members from the opposing team if Seton Hall is playing a school close by.The fans are quiet except for the cheers from an RBI or a nice defensive play. Access 4 Seton Hall is located on South Orange Ave. which runs through Newark. You can reach Seton Hall from the Garden State Parkway, and is fairly easy to find. Once on the Seton Hall campus, Owen T. Carroll Field is fairly easy to find. Once inside the gates of Seton Hall, you just follow the road and it will be on your left. There are many lots so parking will be easy to find. There is also a train station in the village of South Orange. The campus of Seton Hall is about a 10-15 minute walk from the train station. Return on Investment 3 There is no price to attend a Seton Hall baseball game. Seton Hall does not charge for parking, and there are no concessions sold at the game. The quality of baseball that you will see is well worth the cost of gas to get to the game. Seton Hall is a Division One program, and many great players have come through South Orange. Perhaps the most notable alumnus is 2015 Baseball Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. You will have a great seat no matter where you sit, and you will see some top notch college baseball. . Extras 3 One star is awarded for the programs that are given out at every game. The programs provide information on each Seton Hall player as well as the stats of each team. A second star is awarded for the great scoreboard at Carroll Field. In addition to all your basic information, it also shows a graphic for each player when they come to the plate. A final star is given for the beautiful field and facility that Seton Hall has, as well as the retired numbers which can be seen along the right field fence. Final Thoughts There are very few bells and whistles at Owen T. Carroll Field. What you will see however, is high quality college baseball. This quaint college town of South Orange is a nice place to spend a day, and take in a ballgame while you are there. You may end up seeing a future MLB player, or as many Pirate fans have in the past, a future Hall of Famer.

Photos by Michael Rusignuolo, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin 9, Schapenatjesduin Den, 2554 BW Den Haag, Netherlands Silicon Storks website Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin website Year Opened: 1975 Capacity: 1,000 Fiesty Birds Baseball has surprisingly old roots in The Netherlands, but the trauma and want of WWII and the immediate post-war years mostly killed the sport until the Marshall Plan brought relief to the continent and helped revive dormant interests such as baseball, allowing the founding of many new clubs in the early 1950s. The capitol of the country got on board with this post-war trend, and the Storks Sporting Club was founded in early 1952. The 50s saw a boom in interest in the club that grew it from the original twelve members into three divisions of teams. Bouncing between the top Honkbal Hoofdklasse and lower levels, the Storks finally clawed their way back to the top level in 2018, though they still struggle against the more established competition. The team moved around a lot during its history, from sharing football club fields in the fifties, to open fields, before eventually ending up at Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin in 1975, once called “the most beautiful baseball and softball field in the Netherlands.” While that title has surely passed it by, the sportpark is still located in a lovely stretch of parkland. Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin definitely has a scenic location and one of the most interesting locales for all of Honkbal Hoofdklasse.It is also easy to get to and covers all the other stadium basics quite well. [All prices are in Euros. At the time of writing, one Euro is worth about $1.15.] Food & Beverage 3 As with nearly all the clubs in Honkbal Hoofdklasse, all the concessions are handled through the team’s clubhouse, where a bar and grill or perhaps a bar and other small kiosk will dole out the food and drink. The difference is usually in the selection, and the Stork’s pub grub menu is about par for the course. There’s a modest selection of grub to be had at excellent prices. Of course, there are various incarnation of frites (€2.15 and under), as well as Dutch broodjes sandwiches (€2.10 and under), tosti sandwiches (€1.70 and under), and Dutch bittergarnituur (fried meatballs — €2.75, €4.25, or €10 for 8, 16, or 40 pieces). If you want to get your drink on, there’s wine (€1.80), Jillz (a Dutch cider, €1.75), and Dutch beer Hertog Jans (€1.85 each, or a case of 24 for €36). Yes, that’s right: If the cheap prices aren’t enough, you can buy your beer by the *case*. The lack of selection is made up for by cheapness and volume. Coca-Cola is the non-alcoholic drink family of the team. Although a case of beer might be tempting, try out the Jillz cider for a new taste to explore. You obviously have to get some frites (try the Dutch traditional mayo), and maybe give the local bittergarnituur a taste? Popping these fried appetizers while watching the game is surprisingly addictive. Atmosphere 3 Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin is a baseball and softball-only facility nestled in a scenic little park, overlooked by a wooded hill next to the park. Although there apparently was a bit of a rabbit problem when the park first opened, the bucolic setting is now seemingly rabbit-free. While the setting is serene, you won’t mistake it for anything more than a Rookie-league park in America. Several fields are right next to each other, and most of the walls and structures are made from chain-link fences. The team clubhouse is located by the park entrance, a good deal away from the main field, a departure from most Honkbal Hoofdklasse parks. The main seating area behind home plate is four rows of benches on stone steps, mostly underneath the shade of the trees on the hill behind the park. The dugouts are on the outside of the fences, and a small, separate trailer on the first base side of home plate houses the announcer’s booth. A small digital scoreboard just records the score, balls, strikes, outs, and inning in right-center field. Trees rise above the chain-link outfield wall in an unbroken line. Smoking is very much still a thing in the otherwise progressive Netherlands, and there are several picnic tables in the area in front of the clubhouse with ash trays built in to accommodate them. There is also a small play area near the tables, so make of that what you will. Here is an important bit of information: Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin does *not* have lights. While this does not affect the afternoon games on the weekend that start at 2 PM, this does affect the Thursday night games that start at 7:30 PM. Even if the Storks are scheduled for a home game, they will *not* be playing at Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin. They either will be the home team at an opponent’s field or play at other fields beside this one. So be alert if you’re visiting on a Thursday. As is the case in most Honkbal Hoofdklasse games, there are no mascots or between-innings entertainment that permeate all levels of US baseball. You get in-stadium PA announcements, batter walk-up music, and the Seventh Inning Stretch, period. Since this is a step up from club ball, however, there are some nice vestiges of sportsmanship. Each batter coming to the plate for the first time usually shakes the hand of the umpire and the opposing catcher. Neighborhood 4 Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin is located very close to the coast and the beaches it houses. While there is even more to do in the city center of The Hague, unlike many of the other parks in Honkbal Hoofdklasse, there is a lot to do and see. There are a good selection of restaurants close to the stadium. The upscale Meer en Bosch Tavern is to the east at Park Meer en Bos, not far from Bistro Borracho. Just to the north overlooking the beach, there are a clutch of multicultural restaurants, including Italian La Tourterelle B.V., Mexican Chicoleo, Turkish Marmaris, Greek Restaurant Apollo, and American Restaurant Hudson Kijkduin. Further west is foodie haven Suiderstrand. A short walk from the park is most obviously, the beach. There are several resorts and pavilions in the Kijkduin locale offering a wide selection of beach entertainment, including a nearby parasailing school. If you’ve had your fill of the beach, the Park Meer En Boos is close to the ballpark, complete with a bird sanctuary in addition to its arboreal charms. And just to the north is the beginning of the massive Westduinpark, a nature sanctuary that also houses some WWII historical sites. The shore-adjacent location means there are several hotels in the area, but perhaps not as many as you’d expect. The upscale Hotel NH Atlantaic Den Haag is the closest to the park, very close to the Foundation Beach Resort Kijkduin. Holiday house rental Haags Duinhuis are to the south, and the Bed and Breakfast at the Beach is further to the north, as is B&B Ereprijs. Fans 3 Baseball (or honkbal, as it is known locally) is very much a fringe sport in The Netherlands, and for all of Europe for that matter. The Dutch Honkbal Hoofdklasse is one of the only semipro/professional leagues on the continent, sharing the distinction with the Italian Baseball League. The Storks are newly back in the top-level Honkbal Hoofdklasse and seem to draw on the low-end of average Dutch baseball crowds (between 100-250 people per game). After games and practices at the surrounding fields end, the players and spectators come over to watch the top-level men play their games. Another out-of-the-ordinary status quo is that there are usually pet dogs at every game. It is a welcome change for dog lovers, less so if you don’t like them. Local and visiting fans make up the crowd, and the crowd seems invested, even if their team’s fortunes aren’t the brightest right now. Access 4 Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin is accessible by mass transit from The Hague and by transfer from nearby Rotterdam, and it is easy to navigate once you get there. The only mass transit to the park from the city center is a rather painless half-hour bus trip. From The Hague Central, the HTMbuzz Stadbus 24 will take you to Kijkduinsestraat, Den Haag (€2.55), a short walk from the ballpark. Driving, cab, or ride share will set you about a little over 20 minutes from the city center, if you were so inclined. The Hague is extremely close to Rotterdam, and it is only a half-hour drive from there to the ballpark. There is a small parking lot by the ballpark, and there is plenty of free bicycle parking. Cabs and ride shares can drop you off right at the park entrance. There is one entrance to the facility through the main gate. This is the only choke point in the entire park, as it opens out onto wide-open pathways in the fields that reach to all the different fields in the complex. Return on Investment 5 There’s no charge to get into the park, so you can’t really argue with that. Drinks (even beer) are all under €2, and food is mostly under €2.75 except for some truly large amounts of bittergarnituur. How can you argue with these prices? . Extras 2 As with all the Dutch stadiums, extras are at a minimum. The clubhouse has a selection of baseball memorabilia, as well as club trophies and awards. There are two memorials: a retired number of Win Remmerswall (49) on the clubhouse, and the terrace outside the clubhouse is dedicated to Ed Lakwijk. As Dutch clubhouse personnel are almost all volunteers, they are polite and helpful to a person and are always glad to talk to and assist visitors. Final Thoughts In one of the better and easier-to-reach locations in all of Honkbal Hoofdklasse, Sportpark Kijkduin-Schapenatjesduin hits all the basics well, even if the physical facility won’t turn your head.

Photos by Gregory Koch Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium 1001 E Cork Street Winchester, VA 22601 Shenandoah Hornets website Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium website Year Opened: 1979 Capacity: 1,500 Oh Shenandoah! Located in Winchester, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley, Shenandoah University's athletic teams are known as the Hornets and compete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). The Hornets' baseball team has enjoyed much success recently, winning four ODAC titles in nine seasons and regularly being ranked in the Top 25 nationally. The Hornets call Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium their home field. Although the stadium has been operated by the university since 2020, it is located just off campus in Jim Barnett Park, a city park that also includes several other fields. The same agreement that gave Shenandoah control of this field also gave them control of several others in the park, including Rotary Park next door, which is home to the Hornets' softball team. After taking control of the stadium, Shenandoah made several renovations including a new turf playing surface, a new scoreboard, and enhancements to the press box and clubhouses. In late 2022, the stadium was renamed from Bridgeforth Field to its current name to honor longtime Hornets coach Kevin Anderson. As of the start of the 2023 season, Anderson is still the Hornets' coach, making him one of the few coaches to lead his team in a stadium that bears his name. During the summer, the stadium is home to the Winchester Royals, a collegiate summer league team in the Valley Baseball League. Food & Beverage 2 There is one concession stand at Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium, operating out of a window behind home plate under the press box. The menu here is pretty limited but at least prices are OK. Popcorn, hot dogs, nachos, and soft pretzels are all $5 (the pretzel comes with free cheese if you want it), while chips and candy are $2. Bottled drinks are $3 while canned drinks are $2. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are all available for $2 on cold days. Both cash and credit cards are accepted at the stand. Atmosphere 3 There are several sets of bleachers surrounding the field at Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium. The ones directly behind home plate have backs while the ones on the sides do not. Wherever you sit, you will have a great view of the action. Music plays over the PA system before the game and between batters, although the pregame music is actually just a local radio station, which is apparent by the periodic breaks for DJs to read promos or the station to run advertisements. During the game, there is really not much going on other than the game itself. This is typical for the Division III level. The players and fans do create an excellent energy during games, but we will touch more on that later in the review. Neighborhood 3 Winchester is a small city located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. There are a number of restaurants located near the stadium, ranging from sports bars to barbecue to homemade ice cream. Since Bridgeforth Field is located near the highway, pretty much everything in Winchester is right there. While Winchester certainly isn’t a bustling city, it does have that small-town charm. History buffs may also want to visit the many Civil War sites in and around Winchester, which played a major role in the conflict. The city changed hands 72 times during the war and was known as the Shuttlecock of the Confederacy. Fans 5 Shenandoah averages about 300 fans a game and will regularly draw more for weekend games. While this may not seem like much compared to some Division I schools, they led Division III in total attendance last season and ranked sixth in average attendance. As far as Division III fan bases go, this is one of the best in the country, if not the best. The fans show up early, many of them decked in Hornets gear, and cheer on their team. There is a good mix of friends and family of the players and locals. Even though the stadium is located just off campus, a good number of students make the short walk over here as well. Unfortunately, most students do not have the same level as engagement as the other fans, but at least they show up, which doesn't always happen at schools in this region even at the Division I level. For the most part, the fans are passionate and fervent and help make a Hornets game an exciting experience. While it's not comparable to a crowd at the top Division I schools, for Division III, they are top notch. Access 4 The nearest highway to Bridgeforth Field is Interstate 81, and it is easily accessible via Exit 313A. Fans coming from the east or west will need to take State Route 7 or U.S. Route 50 at least part of the way, and while these are not highways, you can usually make good time. Once you get to the stadium, there is parking available in a lot right next to it. If this fills up, there is parking available elsewhere in Jim Barnett Park as well. All parking is free. Keep in mind the rows of the lot closest to the stadium are within foul ball territory. Park there at your own risk. Restrooms are available next to the concession stand and while there may be a small line at times, especially between games of a doubleheader, you should not have to wait too long. The concession stand can move slowly at times as well. One thing to keep in mind is that the only way to buy tickets for the game is to use an app called Ticket Spicket and display the ticket on the app as you enter so they can use it to check you in. There is no way to add the ticket to your Apple Wallet as they need to interact with the app, so you'd better hope you have a strong cell signal. Although mobile tickets are pretty standard today and do not hurt this score, these are more difficult to use than most. Return on Investment 4 Admission to Hornets games is just $6 with youth getting in for $4. SU students and staff get in for free by showing their ID cards. Although many Division III schools have free admission, this is one of the top experience at this level so it is hard to complain about the small price. Concessions are affordable as well, making this a very good value for fans. . Extras 3 Look for the banners on the outfield fence honoring Shenandoah baseball achievements, the plaque behind home plate honoring the Bridgeforth family and their contributions to the stadium, and the whiteboard near the plaque with shows the starting lineups and upcoming Hornets' games. Each of these are worth an individual star. Final Thoughts Although Division III is the lowest level of NCAA baseball, Shenandoah University has managed to put on a top-notch experience at Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium. While it is certainly not comparable to what you'd see at many Division I stadiums, it is one of the best in the country at this level. The fan base is top-notch, the recently-renovated stadium is gorgeous, at least for this level, and the program has managed to perform on the field in recent years. A trip to Winchester to see a Shenandoah baseball game may be a trek for some, but it is an experience not to be overlooked despite the lower level.

Photos by Chris Green, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Swanson Stadium 10501 Fgcu Lake Pkwy E Ft Myers, FL 33965 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles website Swanson Stadium website Year Opened: 2004 Capacity: 1,500 Swingin' at Swanson Taking in a baseball game at FGCU is a different experience than most baseball stadiums. For one, your viewing angle, even in the first row, is about 15 feet above ground level. Secondly, the stadium offers seating along the sides of home plate at ground level for an up-close feel. Best of all is the stunning sunsets one can see, thanks to the stadium’s northward-facing viewing angle. Food & Beverage 3 While there isn’t anything special about FGCU’s food, it is freshly grilled and it is inexpensive. Usually, the Eagles have hot dogs and burgers on the menu. These are always grilled on-site fresh as you order them. They also have a wide variety of candy, snacks, and drinks, with nothing costing more than $4.Because of this, the cost of your concessions is going to stay low, even if you buy enough for the whole family on game day. Atmosphere 3 FGCU isn’t yet known as a baseball powerhouse, and the fans don’t necessarily pack in the stands. Half-full stadiums are normal for the home of the Eagles. The colors are bright and reminiscent of those inside neighboringAlico Arena. The stadium also is somewhat empty underneath the main seating in the concourse area. However, there is a fan merchandise trailer outside of the side entrance. The seats themselves are very comfortable, and form-fitted to make any viewing location one of comfort and not aches. Neighborhood 3 FGCU is a somewhat secluded college campus southeast of Fort Myers, meaning it is situated in a less developed area of a suburb. Within driving distance, there are numerous shopping areas with a growing number of restaurants, stores, and attractions. All of the campus’ athletic facilities are in one section of the college’s property, making getting to a game easy to do night in and night out. For somewhere to stay, one has to look no further than just outside of campus, where several hotels have popped up in the last few years. Fans 3 The fans don’t necessarily pack ’em in for FGCU baseball unless there is a major opponent. Even then, in-state opponents like FAU draw about one-third of visiting fans. A lot of students do attend the games, due to their free entry for attending college, but not as many are hardcore fans, nor for that matter do they necessarily pay attention to the game 100 percent of the time. Plenty of FGCU attendees are also older, thanks in part to the demographics of the greater Naples area. That said, those who do attend the games are pretty family-friendly for college athletics, and they do erupt in applause when a home run is smacked out of the park. Access 5 Getting to FGCU is very easy, thanks to its location near I-75. Located between two major exits on the highway, the campus is well-marked and easy to find. Once on campus, finding the athletics facilities, including Swanson Stadium or anywhere else on campus for that matter, is a breeze, as the signage at FGCU is plentiful and detailed. In addition, parking is plentiful in the area for athletic events at the college. The location of the facilities on the northeastern corner of the campus makes getting to events a breeze. Parking even at the furthest lot only means a short five-minute walk to Swanson Stadium. Return on Investment 4 Ticket prices are ultra-low, concessions are ultra-low, and parking is free. This said, it is hard not to see a massive return on your investment, especially when taking your whole family out for a night of baseball.FGCU is known for being family-friendly, welcoming to new fans, and very affordable, compared to other sports options in Florida. You do get a sense of having fun at FGCU and it helps that the team is growing in popularity among the college ranks. . Extras 3 Fans almost always are greeted with a free giveaway table at the main entrance, which usually includes posters and wristbands, but sometimes includes more. Fans also are mere steps away from the school’s other athletic facilities for FGCU Tennis, FGCU Softball, and FGCU Basketball/Volleyball. If you want to catch any other games going on on the same day, hopping between the two is a breeze. Finally, for the hardcore fans in all of us, FGCU puts out the starting lineups for both the home and visiting teams right at the main entrance before every game. This makes it easy for you to follow along if you are a hardcore fan of the school, the sport, or even coming to scout some of tomorrow’s stars. Final Thoughts Swanson Stadium has everything one needs to be a great stadium. The bones are there, now it just is up to the meat of the stadium to improve, as well. For fans, comfortable seating and high value for your dollar are to be expected, and an exciting night out in a town otherwise known as being generally quiet and mellow.

Photos by Eric Moreno, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.14 Tankersley Field 100 Stadium Dr Prairie View, TX 77445 Prairie View A&M Panthers website Tankersley Field website Year Opened: 2014 Capacity: 512 Prairie View A&M University - Tankersley Field Prairie View A&M University is one of the oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the state of Texas. The Panthers have a long history of excellence in all athletic fields. They began playing games on the baseball diamond in 1970, led by their legendary Head Coach John W. Tankersley. He would lead the team from 1970 to 2002, before passing away in 2003. The Panthers would find success in the coming years, winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship in 2006, 2007, and 2012, and subsequently appearing in the NCAA Tournament in those years. After renovations beginning in 2013, Prairie View A&M would rechristen their ballpark after their late, legendary coach: John W. Tankersley Field. It would open in time for the 2014 season. One of the smaller Division I stadiums in the country, Tankersley Field is not without its charms and its fans. Read on to learn more about the pride of the Panthers baseball team. Food & Beverage 3 In any other circumstance, this rating would be much lower because there is only one concession stand at Tankersley Field. However, the sheer diversity of the menu offered at the stand brings this rating up to what it currently is. The stand has the standard fare, to be sure, such as hot dogs ($5, or chili cheese dogs for $7), popcorn, ($3), and nachos ($6). Also on the menu are sausage buns ($6), boudin ($6), and wing baskets (fries plus a dozen wings, with your choice of sauces, for $12). They also sell bottled soda, water, and sports drinks ($5 and $6), as well as bottled and canned beer. Even with only one stand, the lines never get too long (and the most recent game I attended was a rivalry game with a decent-sized crowd). This is always crucial if you don’t want to miss any action on the field. It’s also worth noting that fans can bring in their food and beverages (within reason when it comes to alcohol) to games if they choose not to partake from the concession stand. Atmosphere 2 Overall there is a nice aesthetic to Tankersley Field. The facades on the dugouts are a pleasing old-school brick design. They also have – very much needed – shaded seating in the bleachers behind home plate, to keep out as much of the southeast Texas sun as possible. On the home team dugout, there are markers highlighting the team’s past accomplishments. Aside from this, that is pretty much all there is in terms of highlights. It is small, but that does work in favor of adding to the energy that we’ll discuss shortly in the “Fans” section. Neighborhood 2 For the most part, the bulk of the city life in Prairie View is centered around Prairie View A&M’s campus. Tankersley Field sits right on campus and rests in the shadow of nearby Panther Stadium, home to the football team. The William Nicks Building (the “Baby Dome”), home of the Panthers basketball team, is also nearby. In terms of dining options, you are mostly going to be limited to fast food options in town, which cater to the college crowd. The nearby city of Waller, Texas (which is just a 10-minute drive from PVAMU’s campus) has far more options, both in terms of dining and lodging. Some highlights include the Waller County Line Pit BBQ, known for its pit-smoked ribs and chicken, and the Hedgehog Grill, a traditional American-style grill that serves up chicken fried steak, burgers, and homemade desserts. When it comes to attractions, this will probably be the first time I’ve gotten the chance to write about the experience that is Buc-ee’s. For Texans, especially those that travel the endless miles up and down Interstates 10 and 35, Buc-ee’s is an oasis, a safe haven, and quite frankly a best friend. Waller has a location, and it is tough to put into words what this hybrid megastore/gas station/rest stop is like until you’ve experienced one in person. A Buc-ee’s has to be seen to be understood. For lodgings, you are going to have to venture outside of Prairie View to find somewhere to stay. Some nearby options include Best Western Plus Waller Hotel and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Waller – Prairie View. If you’re looking for more to do or other food and lodging options, the Houston metroplex is just about a 30–45 minute drive from Prairie View. Fans 2 As previously mentioned, Tankersley Field is what would generously be described as “small”. With a capacity of 514, you will never have a super large crowd at Panthers games, especially as the weather starts to warm up during the summer months. The game I most recently attended was a weekend game against a traditional rival, and it appeared there were equal amounts of visiting fans as there were home fans filling the stands. While this made for a lively crowd, it was a bit unexpected. Access 2 Quite frankly, unless you live in the Houston area it’s not easy to get to either Prairie View A&M or Tankersley Field. It’s a 45-minute drive from downtown Houston and a three-hour drive from San Antonio. Also, there isn’t anything in the way of public transportation in the area, unless you’re a student and can hop on one of the shuttles on campus. Luckily, once you’ve made your way to campus, parking is plentiful and – best of all – is free for all Panther games. Return on Investment 3 In addition to the free parking at Panthers games, they have free admission as well. For any Division I sport, anytime you can count “free” among the costs is a great day for the sports fan. While the bulk of the Panthers non-conference schedule is played on the road – including their marquee non-conference games – it is still DI baseball that you get to see for free at Tankersley Field. This includes at least one homestand against some of the most legendary HBCU programs of all time. Couple that with some affordable and out-of-the-box concessions, and this all adds up to a pretty good time at the ballpark. . Extras 1 In terms of Extras, you really will be hard-pressed to find anything to write home about at Tankersley Field. The main draws are what is put out there on the field. There are no bells and whistles, no frills, and nary any pomp and circumstance to be found. If you’re a baseball fan though, what Prairie View A&M offers will be enough for you. Final Thoughts All in all, it is a fun experience at Tankersley Field taking in the Prairie View A&M Panthers. The field, as they say, is what it is. The stands are nice, and the field is nice, but there just isn’t much to it beyond that. If you’re looking for a bucket list experience, this probably isn’t that for you. However, if you’re not a diehard fan of an alum and are just looking for a way to catch a ballgame for a bargain-basement price, then this is what you’re looking for. Follow Eric Moreno’s Stadium Journey on Twitter at @EricMoreno6477. Visit Eric Moreno’s writer’s portfolio site at ericmoreno.contently.com.

Photos by Chris Green, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 Jackie Robinson Ballpark 105 E Orange Ave Daytona Beach, FL 32114 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats website Jackie Robinson Ballpark website Year Opened: 1914 Capacity: 4,200 Daytona's Home for College Baseball Traveling to college baseball stadiums in Florida, one would easily be forgiven for overlooking Bethune-Cookman; their baseball team plays at the home of the Daytona Tortugas, and not at an on-campus stadium. Located in the beach city of Daytona Beach also gives them plenty to compete with for attention. However, sitting in the stands with the team’s loyal fans, surrounded by history, has a certain quality to it. One should not be forgiven for skipping this ballpark altogether. Food & Beverage 3 There aren’t a lot of food stands at the home of Bethune-Cookman, as the stadium is very old school in its construction. That said, the variety you find here is solid enough with plenty of affordability; you can find the usual ballpark fare in the form of peanuts ($3.50), Cracker Jack ($3), popcorn ($4), hot dogs ($3), and more. A fan favorite is the grande chicken nachos ($10), which lives up to its name, as well as the buffalo chicken tenders ($6) and funnel cake fries ($5). Drink options range from coffee to soda to tea and energy drinks, as well as Gatorade and bottled water, with prices ranging from $2 to $5. Atmosphere 3 There is something to be said about a stadium with a classic look – that old time construction with the covered seating behind home plate and the blockhouse dugouts is very much prevalent in Daytona Beach. However, while many find the old aesthetic charming, it has its drawbacks. The old-style construction means that anyone sitting above the fifth row has an obstructed view thanks to the support beams for the roof. And, while all the seats under the overhang have individual chairs, the seating along left field for general admission is metal benches with no backs. However, the Budweiser Bullpen and right field patio offer seating options for fans and groups with a field-level view and various seating options. The stadium’s single-A tenants have done a good job with the field itself and the stadium aesthetic, maintaining the color scheme of the team throughout the facility rather well, but it means the contrasting red of Bethune-Cookman stands out against the green and blue of the Tortugas. Additionally, the stadium’s location on the water is a big plus as the view is pretty good from your seat – swaying palm trees and blue waters of the intercostal waterway make the backdrop one of the best in college baseball. Neighborhood 4 Immediately across the street from the stadium is a small downtown area full of local shops, while immediately across the water from the stadium is Daytona Beach proper, featuring the world-famous beach, pier, and the expected shopping and dining options. In addition, closer down the road towards I-4 along International Speedway Blvd are countless restaurants and shops, as well as Daytona International Speedway. The city has also done a good job trying to revitalize itself to make Daytona Beach more visitor friendly, meaning there is plenty to do. For lodging, you can’t go wrong with the Extended Stay America or WoodSpring Suites Daytona. Fans 3 As with nearly every Florida college sports team, the attendance on game day is sparse most of the time on weekdays. Games are rarely sold out, but rivalry games with Florida A&M, Stetson, UCF, and others draw many visiting fans to even out the fanbase. With that in mind, the overall experience is still solid; the Wildcats are very family-friendly and the fans are a big part of that. Additionally, the fans who visit are a wide variety of baseball diehards, locals, and alumni traveling through the area hoping to see some of tomorrow’s stars. Access 4 To get to the stadium, it is as easy as taking the I-95 exit onto International Speedway Blvd, and then heading east. Signage showing directions to the stadium are well placed, so it is easy to find your way to the field. Right off the main road is the ballpark, rising from the water’s edge on the corner of Orange Ave and Beach St, and parking is plentiful on site and only $2. Return on Investment 5 Ticket prices are $10 no matter where you sit. This means you won’t break the bank for tickets for a family of four, even when you add in concessions prices. Parking is also completely free at the stadium’s parking lot behind the outfield wall. With these all factored in, it is easy to say that Bethune-Cookman may be one of the best values in college baseball in Florida. Extras 3 A statue of Jackie Robinson is a popular photo spot at the stadium for fans. Additionally, there is a big wall that features names of all the players from Daytona MiLB teams that have made it to the big leagues over the years. Finally, all throughout the property are signs and infographics about the history of the stadium and its ties to Jackie Robinson’s story. Final Thoughts The idea of a baseball team playing in a beach city in Florida seems about as idyllic as one can imagine, and the stadium surely lives up to the image. With great views from the seats, fans in Daytona are treated to a great experience on game day. The affordability of Wildcats games is on par with the best the state has to offer, and it is easy to see why families and young baseball enthusiasts flock to Jackie Robinson Ballpark to watch a game, despite the heat of Florida.

Photo Courtesy Kansas State Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Tointon Family Stadium 1800 College Ave Manhattan, KS 66502 Kansas State Wildcats website Tointon Family Stadium website Year Opened: 1961 Capacity: 2,331 Not All Diamonds in Manhattan are from Tiffany's Kansas State University is the oldest state university in Kansas, opening in 1863, six years before its neighboring rival, the University of Kansas. K-State is located in Manhattan Kansas, a city of more than 50,000 in the northeastern portion of the state. The university has an enrollment of nearly 25,000 students. Its top majors include Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Human Ecology, and Education. K-State’s athletic teams are known as the Wildcats, and they compete in the Big 12 Conference. Baseball has been played at KSU since 1897 and they have won four NCAA regionals and three Big 12 Conference championships over that period of time. The baseball Cats call Frank Myers Field at Tointon Family Stadium their home field. Built in 1961, the stadium has undergone numerous renovations over the years, with a near re-build of the facility in 2001-2002. The stadium holds more than 2,000 fans, and features AstroTurf GameDay Grass on the field itself. Chairback seating was added during the 2002 renovations, as were five club suites. A Daktronics scoreboard was also installed to keep fans updated on the game and scores from other Big 12 games. The exterior of the stadium is constructed of limestone in keeping with the architecture found throughout the KSU campus. Food & Beverage 3 The concession stand at Tointon Family Stadium is located on the concourse and offers a wide variety of typically baseball fare The options include sodas ($4), water ($2), popcorn ($3), candy ($2), hot dogs ($3), chips ($2), and hamburgers ($5).Unfortunately being on the concourse, there is no view from the concession stand of the action on the field.On the good side, a picnic area is available adjacent to the stand so you do not have to balance the food on your lap.In addition to food and beverage, programs and K-State merchandise are also available in the same area. Atmosphere 3 Tointon Family Stadium really feels like a part of the K-State campus due to its exterior mimicking the architecture and limestone building materials found throughout the K-State campus.Being in a college town also adds to the enjoyment of the games.The crowds typically are about 50% students and 50% townspeople, and they are equally supportive of their Wildcats.They tend to come early and are very knowledgeable about the players and the opposition.Even though K-State is a large university you still get a small town, friendly atmosphere when you visit Manhattan. Neighborhood 4 Tointon Family Stadium is located on campus in the athletic complex for K-State. Neighboring facilities include Bramlage Coliseum (basketball), Bill Snyder Family Stadium (football), and the Christian Track and Field Complex. Manhattan is definitely a college town, as the university is a major part of its population and the major employer in the area. The Aggieville district has been the town’s entertainment hotspot since 1899 and is still going strong. Restaurants you might want to sample include the Rock-A-Belly Deli, the PowerCat Sports Grill, or Cox Brothers Barbeque. If you’re looking for a drink, the Aggie Lounge (called the “Lou” by locals) is your classic college dive bar. Two hotels within walking distance of the stadium are the Holiday Inn at the Campus and the Bluemont Hotel. Those looking for K-State merchandise need look no further than Varney’s, which carries everything purple or wildcat. KSU’s McCain Auditorium also hosts major concerts and touring shows throughout the year. A majority of the accommodations are located in downtown Manhattan or along Hwy 24. Fans 4 I hope you like the color purple, as you will be surrounded by Wildcat fans covered head to toe in purple, while seated in purple stadium seating.Around Manhattan this is known as “Purple Pride” and there is no doubting the allegiance of these fans.They are boisterous and they fill the stadium for almost every game.However you are sitting in Tointon Family Stadium, and being Midwesterners, it is a very friendly bunch.The one game that is an exception to this rule is when the Jayhawks come to town, and these two bitter rivals face off.The two campuses are only 90 miles apart, so the visiting team typically brings a large contingent of their supporters with them. Access 2 K-State and Manhattan are accessed eight miles north of Interstate 70.Manhattan Regional Airport has daily service to both Dallas/Ft.Worth and Chicago.There is no public transportation system within the city of Manhattan, but the university does maintain its own on-campus bus system.Manhattan is somewhat isolated on the tall grass prairie lands of central Kansas.It is about 35 miles west of Topeka, the state capital, and about 140 miles west of Kansas City. Return on Investment 4 Tickets to K-State games are staggered by reserved seats ($12) versus general admission ($8), with further discounts in price for seniors, military and children ($5).K-State students are able to attend free of charge as it is factored into their student activity fee.All reserved seats are permanent seat backs, while even the general admission seating areas feature seat cushion/chair backs.General admission seating includes bleachers along the first base side of the field, while berm seating is available along the third base line.Parking is free and plentiful in the Snyder football stadium parking lot adjacent to the baseball field.Lodging and food in Manhattan itself are very reasonably priced, making a visit to the area very family friendly budget wise. . Extras 4 Manhattan, Kansas likes to refer to itself as the “Little Apple.” While it does not offer the traffic, crowds or major league sports of its bigger “sister city,” it does offer some nice extras for visitors to enjoy. As you enter the town from I-70 you can’t help but see the Flint Hills Discovery Center. This natural history museum is one of the biggest museums of any kind in Kansas. The downtown area of Manhattan is built following the town center concept and is very walkable to shops restaurants and businesses. Closer to campus, Aggieville offers restaurants, bars, theatres and shopping just across the street from the university. Each June, Manhattan hosts the Country Stampede, a three-day music festival featuring some of country music’s greatest stars. Finally, we are in Kansas, so a visit to Dorothy and Toto, too is in order. Just twenty miles east of Manhattan is the small town of Wamego, Kansas, which has developed a major tourist attraction with its Oz Museum and Oz Winery. You will see lots of wonderful memorabilia from the movie and it is a pleasant break during a long drive with the kids.

Photos by Michael Rusignuolo, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71 Neptunus Familiestadion Abraham van Stolkweg 31 3041 JA Rotterdam, Netherlands Curacao Neptunus website Neptunus Familiestadion website Year Opened: 1999 Capacity: 2,460 The Best Baseball in Europe The Neptunus sports club has origins going back to 1900, but the Rotterdam-based organization didn’t field a baseball club until 1943. From those humble beginnings, the Neptunus baseball team has evolved to not only be the best baseball team in the Dutch top-level Honkbal Hoofdklasse (winning the Holland Series for seven years in a row in one stretch), but the best team in Europe, with over ten European Cup Championships to their name. Bucking the Dutch trend, the baseball team is the dominant sport in the Neptunus club, and soccer has fallen by the wayside. It seems only fair that the premiere team of the league should have one of the premier ballparks, and Neptunus Familiestadion (“Neptunus Family Stadium”) is unquestionably one of the best ballparks in The Netherlands. Built in 1999 as “the most modern ballpark in the Netherlands,” it has a regular capacity of 2,460, but it can expand to around 6,000 for larger tournaments. Neptunus Familiestadion is one of the top-level ballparks in The Netherlands, with solid facilities and amenities that is relatively easy to reach from the city center and a great value for your money. [All prices are in Euros. At the time of writing, one Euro is worth about $1.15.] Food & Beverage 3 The ballpark experience is much more small-scale in The Netherlands, even in this highest-level locale. All the food and beverages are available in the clubhouse–not the luxury locker rooms of the MLB, but literally a clubhouse for the organization that features a meeting space, a bar, and sometimes a separate food concession. Neptunus clubhouse is larger and fancier than most in The Netherlands, with a large bar and a separate grill kiosk. The clubhouse food is served up at a concession to the left of the main bar. All the food items top out at €3.50, so the price isn’t an obstacle. You can get a selection of specialty hamburgers or hot dogs, sausages, omelets, and grilled sandwiches for that price and lower. Beer is served up at the main bar in the clubhouse, also for a reasonable €3 per drink. Selection is limited to Heineken and whatever other local beers might be available that day, but you can’t really argue about the prices. Coca-Cola is the non-alcohol drink family of choice. You’re in The Netherlands. Get a Heineken. As for grub, choose your poison. They are all fresh-made, cheap, and tasty. I went for a brat, but the filling grilled sandwiches are also quite popular. Atmosphere 4 Neptunus Familiestadion is easily one of the best Dutch ballparks. While other parks in the country are mostly on the level of Rookie League MiLB, Neptunus Familiestadion is easily on the high-A or AA-level. The ballpark is one grandstand, running from short left field to short right field behind home plate. Stairs lead up to the main promenade from both ends of the park, as well as the plaza behind home plate outside the clubhouse. The promenade runs the length of the grandstand and splits the seats into a lower and upper level, and at the very top of the stands are a press box and a level of box/VIP seats. Generally only the upper level of seats are in the shade, so depending on whether you are there on a cool spring day or hot summer day will determine where you might want to sit. A full digital scoreboard sits in left-center field, definitely an upgrade from the minimalist scoreboards found in most of the league. While it doesn’t have video, it is the only scoreboard in the league to show players’ pictures in addition to names and numbers, and even displays the scoring of each completed play. The outfield wall is covered in advertisements and looks out over a tree-lined landscape broken up only by the batters’ eye in center and scoreboard. And all the seats in the stadium are modern, fold-down seats instead of the solid molded plastic found most elsewhere in the league. There is minimal flair during the game. There are no mascots or between-innings entertainment that you would be accustomed to even in the lowest minors in the United States. There is some walk-up music for the home batters and a Seventh Inning Stretch, and that’s about it. The Dutch don’t even play the national anthem before games or fly their flag. Since this is a step up from club ball, however, there are some nice vestiges of sportsmanship. Each batter coming the plate for the first time usually shakes the hand of the umpire and the opposing catcher. Your admission gets you any seat in the house, so choose what suits you best. But be sure to spend an inning in the area behind home plate outside the clubhouse. Grab a beer and watch the game from a vantage point you will almost never have the chance to see at a pro game in the States. Neighborhood 3 Neptunus Familiestadion greatly benefits from being in a sportpark so close to the city center. Unlike most other Honkbal Hoofdklasse parks, it has more going on around it by not being stuck out in the suburbs. There isn’t a ton of restaurants directly around the park, but a short walk south will yield Surinamese Roopram Roti Rotterdam, Turkish Meram Rotterdam West, Indian Sangam Tandoori, and Surinamese Rotiland. There are dozens more restaurants to be found on the short drive back to downtown. The ballpark shares a bus stop with the Diergaarde Blijdorp Zoo, just to the north of the sportpark. The large zoo is a pleasant excursion for kids and adults alike. Also relatively close by is Miniworld Rotterdam, with the entire city done in a miniature train exhibit that is a lot more interesting than it might sound. The rest of the city’s attractions are also a short ride away. The only hotel within walking distance is the fancy Van Der Valk Hotel Rotterdam Blijdorp, right outside the zoo, and two bed and breakfasts to the south, Algerti Bed & Bike and BNB Essenburgsingel. But the seven-minute drive back to Centraal Station yields dozens of hotel options from budget on up. Fans 4 Baseball (or honkbal, as it is known locally) is very much a fringe sport in The Netherlands, and for all of Europe for that matter. The Dutch Honkbal Hoofdklasse is one of the only semi pro/professional leagues on the continent, sharing the distinction with the Italian Baseball League. That said, Neptunus regular-season games get the average Dutch crowds across the league: Between 100-250 people per game. As they are mostly paying fans at Neptunus Familiestadion, that is more of an achievement than at other parks. Another out-of-the-ordinary status quo is that there are usually pet dogs at every game. It is a welcome change for dog lovers, less so if you don’t like them. The fans that are there are into the game, and there are even some visiting fans to be found (much easier to do given the small size of The Netherlands). They are active with their cheering, and there are even a fan scorekeeper or two. Access 4 While many of the ballparks in The Netherlands are a large distance away from city centers and hard to get to with mass transit since baseball is a fringe sport in the country, Neptunus Familiestadion is one of the few that is relatively close and convenient to downtown. From Rotterdam Centraal Station, a ten-minute bus ride (RET Frequentbus 38 to stop Beukelsbrug/Van Nellefabriek, E1.32) will have you within walking distance of the park. It is also only about a seven-minute drive from the city center by car, cab, or ride share, and the especially hardy can walk there in about 30 minutes from downtown. The stadium has its own parking lot attached to the stadium, there is plenty of free bicycle parking, and ride shares can drop off at the front gate. The only entrance to the stadium is the main gate outside the parking lot. Given the size of crowds at regular-season games, this is not much of an issue at all. A large plaza outside the stadium lets you walk to either end of the grandstand to stairs leading up to the promenade. A spacious walkway runs the length of the grandstand, separating the seating area extending down and up from there, with a top level of box seats. Return on Investment 4 Even though Neptunus is one of the only teams to charge for admission to their park, it is still a great value overall The best team in one of the best parks in The Netherlands comes at a price: €7.50. That is the ticket price at the door and will get you any seat in the house. All the food and drink items are under €3.50. You just can’t beat those prices. . Extras 2 As with all the Dutch stadiums, extras are at a minimum. The clubhouse has a selection of baseball memorabilia, as well as club trophies and awards. There is also a small team store display selling some very select team merchandise, but the person in charge of it may not be there, particularly on game days. There is also a small children’s play area outside of the park. A small WWII memorial stands by the entrance to the stadium, and there are three retired numbers on the outfield wall and in the clubhouse (Kooster 14, Van Aallen 22, Eenhoorn 16) for players who made appearances in the MLB. As Dutch clubhouse personnel are almost all volunteers, they are polite and helpful to a person and are always glad to talk to and assist visitors. Final Thoughts Neptunus Familiestadion is one of the finest stadiums in the Dutch Honkbal Hoofdklasse, featuring some of the best amenities in the country at a great price that is not as far from the city center as most other teams in the league.

Photos by Marcus Traxler, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.14 Erv Huether Field 1410 Jackrabbit Ave Brookings, SD 57006 South Dakota State Jackrabbits website Erv Huether Field website Year Opened: 2008 Capacity: 600 The New Erv For the South Dakota State baseball team, Erv Huether Field has not felt like home for the Jackrabbits since its construction in 2008. But that has changed with the addition of new seating for the state’s only Division I college baseball team. From 1957 to 2001, SDSU played at the old field of the same name but was never anything more than a ball field on the north side of campus with bleachers behind home plate. The school built over the field and SDSU spent six seasons at Brookings’ Bob Shelden Field, which is a fine municipal field but not up to the standards for a Division I team, so the school started raising funds for a new park in 2006. The new Erv now feels a little bit more like a ballpark with the addition to a grandstand behind home plate and a permanent press box atop of the structure for the start of this 2012 season. The stadium is named after SDSU’s baseball coach from 1950 to 1983 (despite a career record below .500) and now seats 600 with the grandstand. It beats the rickety bleachers that were temporary in place for the first four seasons back on campus in Brookings. The $200,000 leading gift for the new seating came from Dave Lane and his family, a former Jackrabbit shortstop in the mid-1980s, who still holds SDSU’s career stolen base record. That said, the Jacks baseball home is still largely unspectacular. Food & Beverage 2 There is no permanent concession stand and along those lines, there are no permanent bathrooms but rather a Coca-Cola trailer and a pair of porta-potties. The treat selection is weak as well, with only candy and bottles of soda to satisfy fans. I would think hot dogs could be in play here too but with SDSU averaging fewer than 250 fans per game, I can see why the selection is limited to keep potential overhead low. Atmosphere 3 The atmosphere of college baseball is different from its football and basketball counterparts but the Jackrabbits’ don’t have much of an atmosphere around the field. The park is still largely unfinished, with crushed rock covering the ground around the seats. The PA system provides the only excitement off the field but I think SDSU wants a no-frills approach to the game, with no advertisements on the walls (although that aspect could change in the near future). With that in mind, every seat behind home plate is a good one and the middle section contains individual seats that you would find at bigger parks. SDSU hosts Minnesota every season for one game and the annual meeting usually brings the largest crowd of the year to The Erv. However, that’s not the norm with NAIA Mount Marty, Division II Sioux Falls and the other various Summit League opponents dotting the schedule annually. Kids, like at most other small ballparks, can chase down foul balls, but if they aren’t interested in the game, their entertainment is limited. There are people in the seats and music playing over the loud speaker but SDSU doesn’t have much for game day fun. Neighborhood 1 Erv Huether Field is located near SDSU’s football stadium, Coughlin-Alumni Stadium and not far from the Jacks’ softball diamond, which also opened in 2008. There is a gravel parking lot across the street from the field where you can park. While the field is still technically on-campus, it is far from the Student Union or any of the other academic buildings and residence halls, which in turn, affects the amount of students who show up for nine innings of Division I baseball. Fans 2 As mentioned above, SDSU has people to fill the seats and keep the grandstand from being embarrassingly empty. There are a few tried and true fans who regularly support the team but other fans’ turnout is sporadic. The Jackrabbits have been in the Summit League tournament final in each of the last three seasons but the Summit League’s cream of the crop, Oral Roberts, has created a baseball powerhouse and will attempt to go 15-for-15 for conference titles before they leave for the Southland Conference after the 2012 season. Access 2 SDSU is easy to reach from nearby Interstate 29 and the field is not hard to find either. I mentioned the bathrooms above and it doesn’t look good to have portable bathrooms for the season, but the Jackrabbits don’t play many home games to begin with, so the athletic department likely has to consider its return on investment to build permanent bathrooms. SDSU has averaged 14 home dates for the last three seasons and usually doesn’t play a home game until April, playing the first two months on the road with weather forcing the Jackrabbits south for at least part of winter. Return on Investment 4 It’s hard to argue with the return on investment for $5 to get in. SDSU has routinely been among the highest scoring teams in the Summit League and leading the conference in runs scored in 2010 and 2011. It is entertaining baseball and with the legitimate seats behind home plate, the ballpark has become comfortable to watch a game. Extras 1 One point for the well-kept grass playing surface, which has been regarded as one of the best in the Midwest. Final Thoughts Erv Huether Field will not rate very highly among other college baseball parks but it’s cheap entertainment and quality baseball. The atmosphere and amenities still have room for improvement, but the new seats have done the park wonders, making it a solid place to watch some baseball.

Photos by Michael Rusignuolo, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00 Pim Mulier Sportpark Jaap Edenlaan 7, 2024 BW Haarlem, Netherlands DSS Haarlem website Pim Mulier Sportpark website Year Opened: 1963 Capacity: 500 Complicated Arrangements Haarlem’s baseball history is long and complicated, and remains so to this day. The Dutch major leagues, Honkbal Hoofdklasse, work on the European football (soccer) relegation system, so teams need to qualify for the top league and stay competitive to stay there. The first Haarlem club to hit the big time was the turn-of-the-century SC Haarlem, who had great success, winning several early Holland Series championships before relegation and eventual merger with competing sportclub HHC into the Sparks (which still plays in lower leagues today). Haarlem Nicols formed in the 60s and was the next big powerhouse, setting the Holland Series victory record in the 70s and 80s that was only recently eclipsed by Rotterdam’s Neptunus. But financial mismanagement crippled the team, and it went bankrupt in 1994. Then came Kinheim, which formed in the 1930s but was only a relatively recent contender to king-of-the-hill Neptunus, but an exedous of players saw them withdraw from Honkbal Hoofdklasse in 2017. Newcomer Haarlem DSS made it to the Honkbal Hoofdklasse in 2015 and is now the only representative from Haarlem in the top league. Following so far? Since the 1960s, most Haarlem baseball teams have played at Pim Mulier Sportspark, a multi-sport athletic complex named for one of the founders of modern Dutch sport. These sportparks are usually arranged as an MLB Spring Training facility, with a main stadium and several subsidiary fields all crowded together to handle different levels of baseball and softball. The main field at the sportpark was built in 1994, the 2,500-seat Pim Mulier Stadium, one of the nicest and most modern ballparks in the Netherlands. It rises to the level of about AA US MiLB (where the league-average field is about a Rookie-level facility), and the stadium features a business area, a small museum, and a full restaurant. Due to the vagarities of club politics, Kinheim alone has the rights to play in Pim Mulier Stadium, even though they are relegated to a lower level due to the player departures in 2017. The current Honkbal Hoofdklasse team in Haarlem, DSS, must play on a lesser field in the Pim Mulier Sportspark a short distance away. Pim Mulier Sportpark gets the job done for seeing a ballgame in an easy-to-get-to location at great prices, but it does leave a lot to be desired by the physical facilities. [All prices are in Euros. At the time of writing, one Euro is worth about $1.15.] Food & Beverage 3 Nearly all the teams in Honkbal Hoofdklasse have their food and drink concessions in their clubhouse, and DSS is no exception, but their clubhouse isn’t in their tiny park, but across the pedestrian walkway near the football fields. There is a small canteen located under the small grandstand that sells snacks, but if you want anything substantial (or bathrooms for that matter), you have to walk over the main clubhouse. There’s a normal selection of Dutch sports food on offer, including hamburgers, hot dogs, frites, toasti sandwiches, and Dutch meatballs (all €5 and under). The portions are good, and the prices are unassailable. DSS serves up a good selection of suds in their clubhouse, including Jupiler and local-boy Jopen, as well as wine and spirits for €3 or less. Again, can’t argue the prices. Coca-Cola rules the non-alcoholic roost. Since you’re in Haarlem, grab a Jopen beer, brewed a short distance away. Take your pick of food, but the Dutch meatballs are worth a try, and, of course, grab some frites. Atmosphere 2 Pim Mulier Sportpark’s baseball field is the lesser of the baseball facilities in the park, but even its cramped confines let you watch a game. The field walls are all constructed out of chain link, with the exception of the small brick grandstand. Bunker-like brick dugouts sit outside the chain link fence, and fenced bullpens sit outside either outfield wall. The tight confines behind home plate hold a small grandstand of five rows of molded plastic seats, topped with a small press box. There are several fixed benches in the area looking to the field, but there are also many loose chairs that patrons use to make their own seats. There is a small elevated pavilion on the first base side with a tall table and bar chairs that have ashtrays for the local smokers (of whom there are quite a bit), and there are other tall tables scattered around for people to eat and drink. A large electric scoreboard sits in the left field corner, displaying the count, outs, inning-by-inning score and the number of the player at bat. The high outfield chain link wall is covered in advertisements against a backdrop of trees only broken up by an apartment construction going on beyond the right-center wall. The main clubhouse and all restrooms are at the DSS clubhouse across the street. As is the case in most Honkbal Hoofdklasse games, there are no mascots or between-innings entertainment that permeate all levels of US baseball. You get in-stadium PA announcements, batter walk-up music, and the Seventh Inning Stretch, period. Since this is a step up from club ball, however, there are some nice vestiges of sportsmanship. Each batter coming the plate for the first time usually shakes the hand of the umpire and the opposing catcher. Sit where you want. The grandstand is the best view, but feel free to either grab a chair and make your perfect seat behind the batter’s box or sidle up to a tall table with your food from across the way to eat and drink while you watch the game. Neighborhood 4 Pim Mulier Sportpark is located a short distance from the city center in Haarlem, with a good selection of restaurants and hotels, but not much to keep you occupied. Unlike most Honkbal Hoofdklasse stadiums, there is a good selection of restaurants right by the park. To the west of the park are foodie heaven Restaurant N.A.P. Bloemendaal, upscale Restaurant Noor, and the Italian La Capannina. Just to the east are SushiRito Haarlem, the Indian Roti Room, Ricardoz Tapas, and Chinese Lok Moon. If those don’t tickle your fancy, take the short trip to downtown Haarlem or the train up to Amsterdam. One downside is there is not a lot to do in the immediate location directly around the park. Obviously, this is quickly fixed by the short ride to Haarlem city center or heading east to Amsterdam. There is the nature park Natuur-en Milleucentrum Ter Kleef (great for kids), and that’s about it unless you go further afield. There is a nice selection of hotels near the park, dozens more after the short ride to Haarlem center, and countless options the twenty minutes to Amsterdam. Nearest the park is the budget Stayokay Haarlem, to the north is Bastion Hotel Haarlem Velsen and Hotel De Weyman, and to the southwest are the more upscale Hotel ibis Styles Haarlem City, Hotel Bleecker, Bloemendaal, and Hotel Bloemandaal. Fans 3 Baseball (or honkbal, as it is known locally) is very much a fringe sport in The Netherlands, and for all of Europe for that matter. The Dutch Honkbal Hoofdklasse is one of the only semipro/professional leagues on the continent, sharing the distinction with the Italian Baseball League. Even in their cramped stadium, DSS seems to draw the low-end of the average Dutch baseball crowds (between 100-250 people per game). After games and practices at the surrounding fields end, the players and spectators come over to watch the top-level men play their games. Another out-of-the-ordinary status quo is that there are usually pet dogs at every game. It is a welcome change for dog lovers, less so if you don’t like them. Local fans sit in the small grandstand or arrange chairs behind home plate. Smokers and drinkers line up at the tall tables on the firstmbase side. Visitors arrange chairs on the third base side close to the visiting dugout. Sitting by the announcer’s booth can be enjoyable, as you can often hear them object to calls on the field before they make official announcements. Access 3 Pim Mulier Sportpark is easy to get to and relatively quick from most major cities, although the cramped stadium and the separate facilities does make it little inefficient to get around. Mass transit is a snap, as the park is a short walk away from the Haarlem Bloemendaal train station. It is about twenty minutes from Amsterdam Centraal (€5.00) and a little under an hour from Rotterdam (€13.50). Driving, cab, or ride share is just under ten minutes to the center of Haarlem, a half hour from Amsterdam, and an hour from Rotterdam. There is a parking lot by the park, and there is plenty of free bicycle parking. Cabs and ride shares can drop you off right at the park entrance, a short walk to the field. The stadium just has one entrance into the cramped confines. Entering is not a problem, but even with the relatively small crowds, you have to step aside for people sometimes if they are coming from the other direction. All facilities are located across the pedestrian walk at the main clubhouse, so getting grub and using the facilities is a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Return on Investment 4 There’s no charge to get into the park, so you can’t really argue with that. Everything is €5 or under, including alcohol, so you can’t quibble on the prices. . Extras 2 As with all the Dutch stadiums, extras are at a minimum. The clubhouse has the usual selection of baseball memorabilia, as well as club trophies and awards, plus a “DSS Hall of Fame” on one wall. There is one retired number on the right field wall for Ruud Naaktgeboren #2, a small plaque for Dick Hoff on the grandstand wall. DSS is also the only team in Honkbal Hoofdklasse to offer a free program to visitors. As Dutch clubhouse personnel are almost all volunteers, they are polite and helpful to a person and are always glad to talk to and assist visitors. Final Thoughts Pim Mulier Sportpark’s cramped confines are somewhat alleviated with its convenient location with lots of local amenities, and it still hits the basics to enjoy a game of baseball.

Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29 Jackson Field 1850 6th Ave Greeley, CO 80639 Northern Colorado Bears website Jackson Field website Year Opened: 1927 Capacity: 1,500 Greeley Baseball - University of Northern Colorado Jackson Field is a part of the UNC Jackson Field Sports Complex which also contains the women’s soccer field – Jackson Stadium. The field is named after Charles N. Jackson, a UNC trustee who helped purchase the land in 1927. It has been the site for Bears baseball since the late 1920s. In the fall of 2004, the venue got a new infield surface and improvements were made to the outfield. The field has real grass and real dirt. No lights are at this ball field so all games are played during the day. There’s nothing better than a Sunday spring afternoon baseball game and the UNC (University of Northern Colorado) Bears do a fine job at providing a pure baseball-only experience. The Bears play in the WAC (Western Athletic Conference) as an affiliate member. Most sports of UNC are in the Big Sky Conference, but the Big Sky doesn’t have baseball so UNC baseball joined the WAC in 2014. The UNC Bears have been to the College World Series ten times but not since 1974. For baseball purists, a pleasant time can be had at a UNC Bears baseball game as it is about the game, the players, and the team(s). Food & Beverage 1 One lone concession truck is behind the home plate area. It offers the minimal standard fare. Hot dogs and nachos are $3.75, soft drinks (Pepsi) are $3, Gatorade, water, and hot cocoa are $3. Popcorn, chips, candy, peanuts, and dill pickles range from $1.50 – $3. Alcoholic beverages are not offered at a Bears game. Save that for the many breweries in Greeley. Recommendation: Bring a bottle or two of water and your own snacks to hold you and the family over during the game. Then visit the many dining choices Greeley has to offer. Atmosphere 3 Beyond the left field fence are colorful new town homes. Beyond center field is a nice set of trees. Over the right field fence is a ropes course. All quite picturesque in their own right and it makes for a nice backdrop variety when watching the game. Seating is general admission and is first come, first served. There is no charge for tickets. Ten rows of aluminum benches are on the first and the third base sides; the third base seating area is half the width of the first base side as the third base is the visiting team’s side. Some aluminum seats with backs are above the home plate / press box area. Handrails are not provided. All of the benches in the stadium are in the direct sun. A few folks are clever and stand/sit underneath the bleachers behind home plate. Recommendation: Bring a seat cushion or seat back as well as some sun screen. A net surrounds the entire seating/viewing area with zero places to watch the game net free (unless, of course, you are one of the players, coaches, or umpires). No lights are at the stadium so all games are played during the day. This is especially nice later in the April/May time frame as spring approaches and the temperatures are warmer. It is all about the baseball game here. Music is played between innings with the volume level perfect as one can still converse with other fans in the seating area. The PA announcer has a clear voice and records the player’s at bat, player changes, and summarizes inning activity coherently. Perfect for those who keep score. The standard scoreboard is perched just behind the right center field wall with balls, strikes, outs and a tally per inning for runs displayed for each team. It fits well with the basic game day experience but is a tad difficult to read as the bottom line is faded. It does not appear there is a grounds crew as many of the players/coaches groom the field prior to the game. Neighborhood 4 Greeley is the 12th largest city in Colorado and it is very much a college town. It is a little over an hour drive northeast of Denver, CO; about an hour southeast of Cheyenne, WY. The stadium is in a quaint residential area about two blocks from the central campus. Plenty of places are available to eat/drink before or after a game with Chipotle and Cheba Hut within walking distance (1/2 mile). A bit further in the downtown area (about a mile and a half from the stadium) are The Mad Cow Saloon & Eatery, Rio Grande (Mexican), Roma Restaurant (pizza and beer). A different place to check out for breakfast or lunch is Barnstormer’s Restaurant located in the small general aviation Greeley-Weld County Airport about four miles from the stadium. Click here for the Downtown Greeley Restaurant & Nightlife Guide for even more options. For those who enjoy a good craft beer or two, Greeley has several breweries: Brix Brewery & Taphouse, WeldWerks Brewery, Crabtree Brewing, Wiley Roots Brewing, and more. For other tourist activities when in town, check out the Centennial Village, a living historical museum of life in Colorado over 100 years ago. One can also visit the Colorado Model Railroad Museum. Other sports in the area include UNC basketball at the Bank of Colorado Arena, and one may be able to catch a double header with the nearby Colorado Eagles (AHL) in the early part of the season. Most hotels are about a mile from Jackson Field, the closest brand name hotel is the Clarion Hotel downtown, which is near many of the eateries and tourist attractions. A Doubletree by Hilton is located at Lincoln Park (also near the downtown area) about a mile and a half from the field. It is a very safe neighborhood in which to walk and visit. Fans 3 The Bears fans show up and they stay till the very end of the game. Fans are parents, girlfriends, fellow students and a mix of neighboring residents. The biggest supporters seem to be the ballplayers themselves. All are encouraging and supportive of each other and the players. The first base side is the Bears’ home side and most of the cheering is heard from that section. Most fans are clean as they deposit their garbage in provided containers and do not place them on the flooring below the bleachers. Nice job! Access 5 Jackson Field is located at the corner of 18th St and 6th Ave in Greeley, CO just two blocks from the Central Campus of the University of Northern Colorado. Getting to the arena from out of town is okay. Greeley is not located right off any interstate and one must travel ten or more miles from any interstate on four-lane state highways. Once in Greeley getting to the ball field is relatively easy as it is a small town. There is no noticeable local or public transportation options, though the field is walking distance from the main campus area. Otherwise, driving is the recommended method to get to the stadium. When arriving at the facility, I’d recommend parking your vehicle in the farther parts of the parking lot; not near the entrance because of the short distance to the field and potential foul balls. Another decent option is parking a distance down 6th Ave. Street parking close to the stadium (especially behind the third base area) is also prime foul ball territory and is not recommended. The closest airport to Greeley is DIA (Denver International Airport) which is a little over 50 miles away. Not close but not too far when traveling to the Rocky Mountains. And there are plenty of flights in and out of the airport. Restrooms are surprisingly ample and clean before, during, and after the game and no lines are apparent. The concourse is behind the seating area (the bleachers) and is plenty wide for traversing between innings. Return on Investment 5 Free parking, no charge to get into the game, concession prices at an adequate rate (and one can bring outside food and drinks) all makes this a perfect return on money spent. And being able to watch just a game without all the other frills and entertainment makes it a perfect destination for the baseball purist. Extras 3 Be sure to pick up a roster sheet placed on a table just to the left of the entrance. Having a ropes course behind the right field wall has got to be a unique feature around a ballpark. Although not uncommon in mid to low-major conferences, seeing the coaches and players groom the playing field is different. Not stadium related but a unique incident occurred at the game of this review. A bat was broken (NCAA uses aluminum bats) and half the barrel flew down the third baseline. Final Thoughts Greeley is a nice college town. Jackson Field is a nice ballpark. If you’re heading to or live in northern Colorado, I’d recommend catching a game one weekend day in the spring. Would I go again?Absolutely.

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29 Fred Stillwell Stadium Kennesaw State University Road Kennesaw, GA 30144 Kennesaw State Owls website Fred Stillwell Stadium website Year Opened: 1984 Capacity: 1,200 Hoo's on First.... Kennesaw State University is the third largest institution in the Georgia University System. It has experienced an explosion in growth over the last 10 years, with nearly 36,000 students at its suburban Marietta, Georgia campus. The school is relatively young, as it opened in 1963. The baseball program is even younger, as it did not have its inaugural season until 1984. The Kennesaw State athletic teams are known as the Owls and are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. The baseball team calls the 1,200 seat Stillwell Baseball Stadium its home field. The Owls have successfully managed the growth cycle from a NAIA school, through Division II and are now at the Division I level of competition. In 1994 the team won the NAIA National Championship with a perfect 60-0 record. Just two years later they won the Division II National Championship. Thirty two Owl players from KSU have been drafted by MLB, with five going on to multi-year careers at the major league level. Food & Beverage 3 There is one concession stand in the stadium. They offer the typical baseball foods at very reasonable prices.The menu consists of hot dogs ($3), nachos ($3), popcorn ($2.50), candy ($2) and chips ($1.75). Beverages include Coca-Cola brand sodas ($2.50), bottled water ($2), coffee ($2) and hot chocolate ($2). There are plenty of sit down and fast food establishments within walking distance of Stillwell Stadium.We suggest you eat prior to the game and rely on the stadium for snacks or drinks as needed. Atmosphere 3 Stillwell Stadium has a prominent setting just inside the main gate to the KSU campus. The namesake Kennesaw Mountain forms the backdrop behind home plate for fans seated in the hospitality suites and the players on the field. The seating bowl of the stadium consists of bleachers elevated above the playing field that extend from dugout to dugout. Stillwell Stadium offers great sight lines, as the bleachers are much closer to the playing field than the average college baseball facility. All seats at the venue consists of aluminum benches with chair backs, except for a set of hospitality suites for major donors located behind the left center field wall. A scoreboard is located behind the right center field wall. The dimensions of the field are 331’ to left field, 400’ to center field and 330’ to right field. Stillwell Stadium has served as the Owls roost since the beginning of its baseball program and it is showing its age. The dugouts are made of brick and are very basic in design and the scoreboard looks worn and faded. The dated construction of the stadium required it to be elevated so it could drain properly. This has resulted in the need to climb stairs no matter where you go in the facility (ramps have been added to be ADA compliant). The plaza outside of the press box gets very crowded, as the restrooms, concession stand, and the only entry/exit gate are in this area. While the on-field Owls play great baseball, their home field is no advantage for the fans. Kennesaw State realizes the stadium has become outdated, and will begin a three-year, $7 million renovation immediately after the 2019 season concludes. Neighborhood 4 The stadium is hard to miss, as it is located immediately on the right as you enter through the main entrance to the Kennesaw State campus from Chastain Road. Kennesaw State University is in an area known as Town Lake. This area boasts of a wide variety of shopping, dining and lodging facilities. The 175-store Town Lake Mall is located just 1.5 miles from the stadium and can be reached via Town Lake Parkway or a hike/bike trail that weaves through the area. Restaurants close to the stadium include the Mellow Mushroom and the Cracker Barrel Country Store. Lodging is available across the street from Stillwell Stadium at either the Springhill Suites or the Baymont by Wyndham. The Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is located about 5 miles from the stadium. The park area played a major role in the Battle of Atlanta during the Civil War, as the mountain provided an excellent vantage point for General Sherman with its views of Atlanta in the distance. The park is also heavily used for recreational purposes, as it offers more than 30 miles of hiking, biking and jogging trails. Another Civil War related attraction is the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. This Smithsonian Museum-affiliated facility features the General locomotive, which was made famous during the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862. Fans 3 The Owls draw very well at Stillwell Stadium. The stadium is within walking distance of most of the dorms on campus, as well as fraternity/sorority row. Off campus student housing is serviced by the BOB (Big Owl Bus) with shuttles running throughout the games. Students get free admission to all KSU athletic events through their activity fee, so there is always a full house in the student section. The fan base also includes non-students from the local community. Most of the KSU players come from within a 100-mile radius of the school, so family members and former classmates often attend the games. The athletic department and the fans have lots of fun with the Owl moniker. You will hear several cheers involving derivations on the word “hoo.” The team mascot Scrappy does a great job in keeping the fans both entertained and fired up throughout the game. Access 3 Stillwell Stadium can be easily reached via either exit 271 off I-75 (Chastain Road) or by the Chastain Road exit from I-575 (Chastain Road) From I-75: Take I-75: Take the Chastain Road exit and go west and turn right at the first red light onto Frey Road. Continue to the East Parking Deck on your left. From I-575: Take the Chastain Road exit and head west for 4 miles. After passing over the I-75 bridge, turn right onto Frey Road. Continue to the East Parking Deck on your left. Stillwell Stadium is on the corner of Frey Road and Chastain Road. On game days a free shuttle bus service is provided from other points on the campus via the Big Owl Bus (BOB) service. While access to KSU via the interstate is logistically easy, you must consider Atlanta’s legendary traffic issues. Making a weekday afternoon game may try your patience. The situation is gradually improving as the Georgia DOT recently completed a massive express lane project that extends from I-285 past KSU. This has relieved the congestion to some extent. Return on Investment 3 Tickets to Owl baseball games are $5 except for “premium” games (Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, Georgia State and Georgia Southern) which cost $10.Parking is free in the East Parking Deck on game days and is within easy walking distance of the field. Concession prices at the park are very reasonable. Most KSU fans can commute to games, but hotels in the immediate area of the stadium are available for less than $100 a night. . Extras 4 Mother nature takes credit for the first extra, as the view of Kennesaw Mountain looming over the stadium is beautiful. Chastain Road is just beyond the bleachers along the first baseline and offers a wide variety of dining, shopping and lodging options within walking distance of the field. Civil War buffs will enjoy visiting the many Civil War sites located within a few miles of the KSU campus. Kennesaw Mountain played a pivotal role in the Battle of Atlanta. Just as we were going to press, KSU announced that Stillwell Stadium will be getting a major renovation over the next three off-seasons, with work completed by 2022. Amongst the areas receiving major attention will be the expansion of the seating bowl to hold more than 1,500 fans. The construction of additional concession facilities, improvements to the dugouts and construction of more premium seating areas. The overall cost of the renovations is expected to be $7 million, which will come through fundraising and contributions from major donors. Final Thoughts Stillwell Stadium has served the Kennesaw State Owls well since they were hatched in the 1980’s. With age comes wisdom, and these Owls know it is time to give their home some sorely needed updates. By our next review, we feel that the nest will look good as new.

Photo courtesy David Wilson, UNCG Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 UNCG Baseball Stadium Kenilworth St & Theta St Greensboro, NC 27412 UNC Greensboro Spartans website UNCG Baseball Stadium website Year Opened: 1999 Capacity: 3,500 No Spartan Accommodations When most people hear of the University of North Carolina, their minds immediately turn to Chapel Hill. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, though, was founded in 1891, and is quite the successful academic and athletic institution in its own right. Though the school served for over 70 years as an all-female institution, the student body has been co-educational for five decades. UNCG has also seen its share of success on the athletic fields. The Spartan baseball team defeated in-state foe (and then-number one) North Carolina several years ago in front of the home fans in Greensboro. UNCG has also seen considerable success in soccer and basketball, both within the Southern Conference and on a national level. The baseball victory over North Carolina took place — as do all the Spartan home games — at UNCG Baseball Stadium. This on-campus facility saw its first pitch in 1999, and has earned acclaim from numerous sources. The stadium’s facade seems a bit nondescript upon approach, and there are only approximately 900 fixed seats, but the ballpark is beautiful and spacious. Food & Beverage 3 The lone concession stand is on the concourse behind the plate, and the offerings sold from the stand are what one would expect from a “mid-major” program. The lone entree choice is a hot dog, priced at $2. Snacks compose the remainder of the menu, with peanuts and popcorn (both $2), sunflower seeds, Cracker Jacks, chips and candy (all $1) helping to get fans through the game. The chips and candy do at least offer some variety, with four different candy brands and four different types of chips. Pepsi serves as the campus’ bottler, with 20-ounce bottled sodas and water available for $2. A cup of ice (should you require one) is $1, with hot chocolate also served for $1. Atmosphere 4 UNCG Baseball Stadium is near the entrance to the campus, so most of the view beyond the wall is that of trees and campus buildings. There is also a large parking deck beyond the wall in right field. This may not sound picturesque to most, but it looks a lot better than it sounds. The lone price fans pay for the nice view and the spacious concourse comes from an overall lack of shade in the park. There are small pockets of shade near the press box, restrooms and concessions building, along with a few areas shaded by the field house building down the right field line. A number of fans brought umbrellas to provide shade on the afternoon I visited, and despite the stadium’s policies outlawing umbrellas, no one gave those fans any problems. If you choose to bring an umbrella for an afternoon game, though, be aware that you may be asked to put it down. UNCG Baseball Stadium seats 3,500 fans, though just 889 of those fans have fixed seats. This did not appear to trouble many in attendance when I visited, however, as fans brought blankets to enjoy the berm areas or folding chairs to grab a seat on the concourse. The berm area is incredibly maintained, as is the playing surface. If sitting on grass is not a problem for you, this is one of the better parks I’ve seen in which to grab a spot on the berm. The UNCG dugout is on the first base side, if this helps your decision process. The scoreboard is located in right-center field, with a video and informational screen at the top. The screen displays a photo of the current batter or pitcher, along with updated season and in-game stats. The game’s line score, ball/strike/out indicators, number of the current batter and the current time are all on display in the portion below the video screen. The board can be a bit tough to see from some of the seats, depending on the angle of the sun. There is also a net in front of the scoreboard, which can obscure the board a bit if you are looking from the right field side. Neighborhood 4 UNC Greensboro is located near most of the action in the Gate City, just blocks from one of the main thoroughfares in the city (Lee Street) and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. The school and stadium’s proximity to NewBridge Bank Park allows visitors to utilize many of the same downtown attractions and eateries. Most of these places are a mile or so from the park, so a car may be in order if you would rather not make the trek on foot. Jack’s Corner Mediterranean Deli is just across the street from the campus, and is a favorite of many locals. An interesting combination of Greek and American deli fare is offered, including gyros, kabobs, wraps and hoagies. Prices are quite reasonable, and the restaurant goes out of its way to fit into the university district. If a night on the town is not your speed, this is a great place to keep your evening relaxed and casual. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Greensboro go hand-in-hand, and though UNC Greensboro participates in the Southern Conference, a trip to the ACC Hall of Champions is certainly a nice way to spend a few hours. The Hall of Champions is located in the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, and features uniforms, photos and other items from the conference’s past. Fans of the region are sure to enjoy some of the conference’s great moments as vividly as they did when they first saw them take place. Admission is quite inexpensive, at $5 for adults and $3 for children (through age 12) or groups of four or more. Fans 3 Attendance was a bit sparse at the beginning of the game I attended, as the game’s start time was moved up two hours in anticipation of rain in the Triad region (which actually never arrived). As the game continued, though, fans started to arrive in greater numbers, eventually making for a fairly solid crowd. It is unlikely that UNCG would ever “sell out” (more on the reason for the quotation marks later) unless an opponent such as North Carolina visited, but those who do show up love their Spartans. The noise is not deafening, by any means, but there is enough blue and gold in the seats producing cheers at the appropriate times to let you know which is the home side. The level of support is about what one would expect and hope for at this level, though more fans in the stands would always be a nice thing. The quality of the facility is certainly worthy of a full house every night. Access 5 Lee Street is quite close to the university. Lee, US Highways 29, 70, 220 and 421 and North Carolina Interstates 40 and 85 all travel within a couple of miles of the campus, making for relatively easy ingress and egress. Most GPS systems find the stadium with little difficulty, though it is often labeled as simply “Baseball Stadium”. The intersections of Walker and Aycock (front entrance) or Kenilworth and Theta (rear entrance) will help you find the park with no problem. Parking is plentiful at the front entrance of the stadium, and there is no charge. Just as with any game on a college campus, though, be careful to pay attention to signs indicating the requirement of a permit, as well as dodging foul balls. If you have a stroller or other requirement for a ramp, use the rear (right field) entrance to the ballpark, as the front entrance features a large stairway. UNCG is also accessible via bus. The Greensboro Transit Authority operates bus service through the area and the city. Bus route 1 serves the campus, with the stop just outside the stadium’s gates at Walker and Aycock. The concourse is very wide — in fact, as wide as almost any you will find — and allows for plenty of room to walk, stand or sit. The entire area is open to the field, as well, which means the only time you miss any of the action is if you need to use the restroom. Regarding the restrooms, they are near the concession areas, with clean and updated facilities. Lines should be no problem, as there is enough room for most between-innings rushes. Return on Investment 5 I almost hesitate to mention this next detail, for fear it may change. There is no admission fee for UNCG games. It seems impossible with a facility this nice and well-maintained that there is no charge for a ticket, but this is certainly a nice surprise. With free parking, our usual test of a game ticket, parking, a hot dog and a soda comes in at just $4. This allows families of four to take a $20 bill to a game and come away with change. Any Division I baseball — especially baseball in the highly competitive Southern Conference — at this price point is well worth a visit. . Extras 3 UNCG has a marketing table set up along the concourse behind the plate. A small “program” is available at the table, including photos of the UNCG players and rosters of both teams. There is not much to the program, but it is free. Fans can also sign up to participate in the in-game promotions at the table. The back of the press box features a sculpture that is visible throughout the concourse. This artwork features several different scenes of players in action. The sculpture is called “Play at the Plate”, and was designed by Brad Spencer. There is also a field house down the first base line, which houses locker room and hitting areas for players, as well as offices for coaches. The advantage this provides to the fans is that there is a window through which fans can look and see the program’s trophy cases. It would be ideal if the university could provide a way to go inside and see these items, but the view through the window is at least somewhat unique. Final Thoughts UNCG Baseball Stadium is a relaxed facility, in more ways than one. There is plenty of room to stretch out, relax and enjoy the game without feeling cramped. There are also minimal intrusions from wacky sound effects and excess crowd noise. If you’re looking for a nicely-maintained facility that allows you to appreciate the outdoors and the national pastime, make a note to add a UNCG game to your travel itinerary.

Photos by James Hilchen, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Charles Schwab Field Omaha 1200 Mike Fahey St Omaha, NE 68102 Creighton Bluejays website Charles Schwab Field Omaha website Year Opened: 2011 Capacity: 24,505 Home of the Bluejays TD Ameritrade Park opened its doors in 2011. The stadium plays host to the College World Series in addition to being the home of the Creighton Bluejays. The Bluejays began their first season as a Big East Conference team in 2014. TD Ameritrade Park replaced the original host of the College World Series, Rosenblatt Stadium. Creighton split games between Rosenblatt and the Creighton Sports Complex before making TD Ameritrade Park its permanent home. The Bluejays were regular-season and Big East Conference champions in 2019, also making it to the NCAA regionals. Among the Creighton baseball alumni are Scott Servais, Alan Benes, dual-arm pitcher Pat Venditte, and Hall of Famer, Bob Gibson. Note: TD Ameritrade Park changed its name to Charles Schwab Field in the early part of 2022. Food & Beverage 3 TD Ameritrade Park provides your basic food and drink options. Pizza ($7), toasted ravioli ($7), cheeseburgers ($7.50), Polish sausage ($7), jumbo hot dog ($5), and chicken tenders w/ fries ($11) are your main food items. Standard snacks such as popcorn, nachos, jumbo pretzels, peanuts, and candy all can be had for $4-$7. Coke products are your soda of choice with $4.50 bottles along with water, tea, Powerade, coffee, and hot chocolate in the same price range. Beer tallboys (Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, Leinenkugels) are $8 along with White Claw and wine. Atmosphere 2 The atmosphere for a Bluejays game is unique. On one hand, the team plays in a fabulous stadium. On the other, the stadium is so cavernous that there is no way for a college baseball team to fill all the seats and the fact that so few seats are taken does take away from the stadium experience. With the fan to seat ratio being so advantageous for the fans, you have your choice of where to sit, left or right side, sun or shade, etc. There is a video board in right field and a great sound system that adds to the experience. Neighborhood 5 TD Ameritrade Park is located right near the CenturyLink Center, which is a multi-purpose arena that hosts sporting events, concerts, etc. With the combination of the two venues being so close, there is an overabundance of food and drink options in the area. Blatt Beer and Table is located directly across the street from the ticket office. The big draw here is the outdoor beer garden located on the roof. There are plenty of drink options and they serve typical tavern type food. Just down 13th Street is The Old Mattress Factory. “The Matt,” named because it was indeed at one point, a mattress factory, is another popular area hangout. Again, there are plenty of drink options, food choices for adults and children, and a great smoked turkey Reuben. If you aren’t into bar food, just look around. There is probably something that will fit your taste within a few blocks. As for lodging, there are also plenty of options, with a Hampton Inn right across the street and a Hilton one block away. There are many more options within a mile or so. If you are staying in Omaha, be sure to check out the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. The zoo constantly ranks among the best zoos in the nation. Other baseball options include Tal Anderson Field, home of the Omaha Mavericks and Werner Park, home of the AAA Omaha Stormchasers. Fans 3 The Bluejays have a small band of loyal followers who attend. Other folks are there more to see where the College World Series is played than to root on Creighton. The opposing team gets some good-natured ribbing and the umpires hear the occasional catcalls but the fans keep their language appropriate for children. The Creighton fans are a nice bunch and although there aren’t many of them as compared to the number of seats available, they add to the enjoyment of the game. Access 5 TD Ameritrade Park is located just north of I-480 and plenty of signs will direct you to the right place. At the stadium, parking is plentiful. Once inside, concourses are extremely wide and you will have no problems maneuvering around. There are plenty of restrooms and a large amount of handicapped seating is available. There is only one concession stand open, but with so few fans, there isn’t much of a wait, if any. Return on Investment 3 Attending a Creighton game will cost you a little more than the average college game, but you are watching the game from a fabulous facility. Parking is $10 in the main lots, but you can find some directly across the street for a little less. Tickets run $9 for most games. Concessions are about what you will pay anywhere else, so you do get a solid deal. . Extras 3 Be sure to take a look around the concourse. On the walls are decade-by-decade boards of College World Series results and celebrated players. It is a nice touch. A nice perk of coming to the games on Sunday is the cheap ticket prices. On Sundays, all tickets are $4. Take your time looking around the park outside as well. There are plenty of different features that celebrate the ballpark and the College World Series. Final Thoughts Truth be told, the team would probably be better served having their own stadium with a more intimate setting. It’s gotta be hard to get too amped up knowing no matter how good the team is, they don’t stand a chance of filling up their ballpark. That being said, attending a Creighton Bluejays game at TD Ameritrade Park is a fun experience. The atmosphere in no way can match that of the electricity that goes with the College World Series, but if you want a relaxing experience and a place to kick back and watch some good baseball, enjoy! Follow my sports journeys on Twitter and Instagram: @stadiumjwriter

Photo by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 Newman Outdoor Field 1515 15th Ave N Fargo, ND 58102 North Dakota State Bison website Newman Outdoor Field website Year Opened: 1996 Capacity: 4,690 Bison on the Basepaths Located along the state line of Minnesota and North Dakota, Fargo, North Dakota is home to the North Dakota State University (NDSU) and its Bison athletic teams. The Bison name was chosen due to the fierce and powerful nature of the animal, and the fact that the prairies of the north central U.S. were the home grounds of these magnificent beasts. The baseball Bison call Newman Outdoor Field their home. They share the facility with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks minor league team of the independent American Association. Newman Outdoor Field was completed in 1996 and has a seating capacity of 4,419. Among the amenities offered at Newman are 12 luxury suites and a large LED video board. The out of town scoreboard in left field is hand-operated as a nod to old-time baseball. In baseball, NDSU competes in the Summit League, which includes IPFW, Oral Roberts University, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Western Illinois and South Dakota State. The Bison’s primary rival however, is the University of North Dakota, which is located just 50 miles up I-29 from NDSU. Games between these two state schools are always sellouts. They have appeared in three NCAA regionals. This review will focus on Newman Outdoor Field as it operates for NDSU games. For a look at the stadium in its minor league role, please see the review for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Food & Beverage 4 During NDSU home games only one concession stand is open on the concourse. The hot drinks offered are coffee, hot chocolate and cappuccino, which each sell for $2. (It is important to note that weather in this area of the country can be cold well into the baseball season, especially at night.) A large soda will cost $3.50, while a small soda goes for $2.75. Food selections include hot dogs ($1.50), brats ($3.75), sausage ($3.50) and a pulled pork combo plate (includes chips and a drink) for $5. The merchandise store in the stadium carries only Red Hawks memorabilia and is not open during NDSU games. Atmosphere 4 The friendliness and laid-back nature of a basically rural and farming community are evident at Bison games. The fans are here to have a good time, but do not live or die by the number of wins and losses the team has. The Summit League is made up of very similar communities, and there is a good-natured rivalry between the towns. Newman Outdoor Field also realizes that baseball is the star and does not blast theme music for every player as they come to bat or constantly try to sell you something during every break in the action. It is a very pleasant place to enjoy a game. Neighborhood 3 Newman Outdoor Stadium is located on the campus of North Dakota State University, next door to the Fargodome. The school has an enrollment of nearly 15,000 students, with the largest majors being Agriculture, Business and Liberal Arts. The immediate area around the field is filled with academic buildings, as well as restaurants that cater to the large student population. Some of the more popular ones are JL Burgers, Sammy’s Pizza, Lucky 13 Pub and OB Sports Zone, and the Fargo Brewing Company. As far as the overall town, Fargo is the largest city in North Dakota, with a population of more than 113,000 people. Because of its size in a sparsely populated state, Fargo is a major destination for North Dakota residents, as far as retail, medical facilities, education and cultural offerings. West Acres Mall is the largest shopping mall in the Dakotas and is located just over two miles from Newman Field. Fargo also is home to many music and art venues, including the Plains Art Museum and the Fargodome for major concerts. Fans 3 Though far north of most Midwestern cities, NDSU and Fargo area residents do share in the Midwestern love of baseball that is so evident in places like St.Louis, Chicago, Kansas City or Des Moines. Being a smaller city, there is a family feel between the university and the residents of the city, and they are mutually proud of each other’s accomplishments. The fans are very knowledgeable about baseball, and the various Bison team members and are happy to share their knowledge with you. The fans around me gave me some great suggestions on where to eat and attractions I should see. The turnout at the games is excellent, as Fargo residents celebrate the end of the often frigid winters with the arrival of baseball season. Access 4 Newman Outdoor Field is easy to get to, as it is just off the interstate (I- 29) and is located right on the North Dakota State University campus. Parking is plentiful, as it shares parking lots with the adjacent Fargodome, a multipurpose facility that hosts Bisons football, trade shows and concerts. Fargo’s Hector International Airport is located across the street from the campus, with multiple flights a day between Fargo and the Twin Cities or Chicago. Due to the airport’s proximity to the campus, there are a number of hotels nearby, so you do not even need a rental car or a cab to get to the games. Return on Investment 4 Tickets to the Bisons games are $5 for adults and $3 for youth under 16. The nearby hotels run an average of $80-$100. Parking is $2.00, but if you are staying at one of the nearby airport hotels, you can simply walk to the park and avoid this cost. The concessions are very reasonably priced.Attending a game here is not going to cost you a lot of buffalo bills! . Extras 3 Even though you are in the typically frozen North Country, there are several interesting things to do in Fargo: 1) a top attraction is the famous wood chipper from the movie “Fargo,” which is on display at the Fargo-Moorhead Visitor’s Center…and yes, the foot is still protruding out of it. Have your photo made with this classic prop…you betcha! The next two attractions both center on baseball and Fargo. 2) Roger Maris was a lifelong resident of Fargo and never forgot his roots. The town is very proud to have had him as a native son and sponsors the Roger Maris Museum at the West Acres Mall. Always humble, Maris first declined the idea, but finally approved the idea after making the stipulations that it be accessible to the public and that no fee be charged for persons to visit it. 3) Maury Wills, baseball’s premier base stealer, also has his own museum, which is located inside of Newman Outdoor Field. Though not a Fargo native, Wills has been part of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks minor league organization since 1996.

Photos by Michael Rusignuolo, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14 Loek Loevendie Ballpark Herman Bonpad 5, 1067 SN Amsterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam Pirates website Loek Loevendie Ballpark website Year Opened: 2000 Capacity: 500 Corporate Pirates The baseball roots in the cultural capitol of The Netherlands go back to 1938 when football (soccer) club S.V. RAP opened a “baseball department.” They played as the RAP Pirates for several years, before conforming to more traditional baseball naming as the “Amsterdam Pirates” when the baseball club separated from their parent sporting club in 1974. Advancing through the divisions of Dutch baseball, they cracked the top-level Honkbal Hoofdklasse for the first time in 1982, and despite some relegations, managed to capture two Holland Series and make it to international play in the European Cup. In 2000, they moved into their new digs at Sportpark Ookmeer, west of Amsterdam city center. The 500-seat main baseball stadium became known as the “Pirates Playground,” and remained that way until 2019, when it was renamed Loek Loevendie Ballpark to honor a local baseball great. The Pirates also inked a sponsorship deal with human resources and training company L&D Support, now going under the moniker “L&D Amsterdam.” Overall, Loek Loevendie Ballpark is a solid Honkbal Hoofdklasse entry, not standing out in many areas except its fans and values. [All prices are in Euros. At the time of writing, one Euro is worth about $1.15.] Food & Beverage 3 The standard in Honkbal Hoofdklasse is to have all the food and drinks available at the park on offer in the team’s clubhouse. Amsterdam follows this lead, but their clubhouse is the only in the top league where it overlooks the field with large, sliding-glass doors, letting you eat and drink while still watching the game below. The standard fare for Dutch baseball games are available at the bar grill, including hot and cold sandwiches, sausages, Dutch meatballs, and (of course) a big selection of frites, all for €4.00 and under. You can argue the selection, but not the prices. The erstwhile Pirates also have a healthy selection of beer to choose from. Choices change, but include Liefmans, Leffe Blond, LacHouffe, Palm, and Veltins, as well as Corona. All are €3.60 or lower, so drink early, drink often (unless you’re driving). Coca-Cola is the non-alcoholic drink family of choice, as it is across the league. As for drinks, pick your favorite Belgian beer (or a Corona if you’re homesick). For food, you can try a hot Dutch sandwich, such as the chicken (“kip”), or be more adventurous and grab some tasty Dutch meatballs. But whatever you get, you have to get some frites with it (bonus points for mayo). You are in The Netherlands, after all. Atmosphere 3 Loek Loevendie Ballpark is in the standard location for a Dutch ballpark (a suburban sportpark), with the same overall configuration (laid out like a US Spring Training facility with multiple fields), but it has a rather unique structure. As with most Dutch ballparks, it is on the level of a nice Rookie League or low A-ball field in the American minor leagues. You enter behind the main grandstand, a large building with a flat, sloping roof, with access from stairways on either side. The team has large solar panels on the roof to power the building, and even sells power to the local area. At the top of the stairs is a large plaza, with the team clubhouse and offices at the back. The plaza houses several picnic tables with ash trays (to accommodate the high population of Dutch that still smoke), along with some low benches and high tables with bar chairs, both by the clubhouse and scattered around. The main seating area is down concrete steps from the landing, with eight rows of molded plastic chairs running from about halfway to third base to about half to first base. You can walk around behind home plate, but fans can go no further than the dugouts on either side of the field. There is a large digital scoreboard in the right field corner, giving out the by-inning score, basic stats, and player name and number. It rests above a standard outfield wall with some ads against an unbroken background of trees. A canal circles the park, and often home runs are “splashdowns” in the water, so take that, San Francisco. The clubhouse also houses the bathroom facilities and in one wall, there is the entrance to the small team store, featuring general baseball equipment (hard to come by in The Netherlands), as well as a small selection of team gear (almost indistinguishable from the MLB Pirates). The Amsterdam three-X flag flies several places in the park, but not the Dutch flag. As is the case in most Honkbal Hoofdklasse games, there are no mascots or between-innings entertainment that permeate all levels of US baseball. You get in-stadium PA announcements, batter walk-up music, and the Seventh Inning Stretch, period. Since this is a step up from club ball, however, there are some nice vestiges of sportsmanship. Each batter coming to the plate for the first time usually shakes the hand of the umpire and the opposing catcher. Sit where you want. The seats all offer a great view of the field. If you want more space to spread out, grab a picnic table (away from the smokers, if that is a problem). Like your baseball with a beer? Watch the game from the clubhouse, as this is the only park in the league where that is an option. Neighborhood 3 Although technically in the largest city in the country, Loek Loevendie Ballpark is tucked away in a suburban sportpark because… well, I can’t imagine what the rent would be to build a ballpark in the canal zone, but it is more than a fringe sport such as baseball can afford. There are still some okay amenities around, but it is slim pickings compared to the city center. The residential neighborhood works from the food side of things, as there is a decent clutch of local restaurants just to the south of the park. Turkish Turks Restaurants Eethuis Cesme, Chinese Kwun Wah, Italian Pomdori, French Brasserie De Serre, Dutch Meram Osdorp, and Turkish Restaurant Sahan are across the street. To the northeast is Greiks Restaurant Plato. If these don’t tickle your fancy, east to the tourist areas will yield uncountable other options. One downside is there is not a lot to do in the immediate location directly around the park. The Street Art Museum Amsterdam to the north is the only museum in the area, and there’s some shopping at the West Mall to the southeast, but that’s about it. The short ride to Amsterdam city center will offer you more of whatever you want than you’ll be able to fit into one vacation. The stadium is in more a residential area, so there isn’t much in the way of hotels nearby. The budget New West Inn is just across the street from the park, while the mid-range Citiez Hotel Amsterdam is just to the southeast. Upscale B&B Sloterpark is a bit to the northeast, and that’s about it. Ten minutes away to the northeast is Sloterdijk Station, with over a dozen hotels in different ranges to choose from, as well as Rembrandt Park a short distance to the east with even more choices. Fans 4 Baseball (or honkbal, as it is known locally) is very much a fringe sport in The Netherlands, and for all of Europe for that matter. The Dutch Honkbal Hoofdklasse is one of the only semipro/professional leagues on the continent, sharing the distinction with the Italian Baseball League. The big-city team seems to draw on the high end of the average for most Dutch baseball games (between 100-250 people per game). After games and practices at the surrounding fields end, the players and spectators come over to watch the top-level men play their games. Another out of the ordinary status quo is that there are usually pet dogs at every game. It is a welcome change for dog lovers, less so if you don’t like them. Unlike other parks in the league, there is no definitive “home” and “away” cheering sections, and everyone pretty much congregates in the one seating area, or in the clubhouse overlooking the field. There also are a smattering of ex-pat Americans who seem to come to games, as well. The crowd, both home and visiting are quite into the game and its proceedings, definitely more than average for the league. Access 3 Loek Loevendie Ballpark is located west of the Amsterdam city center in “New West Amsterdam,” just west of man-made Sloterplas lake. Thankfully, there are public transit and other options available to get there, and the park itself is quite easy to navigate. There are two bus options from Amsterdam. From Centraal Station, GVB Stadbus 21 (€2.66) will get you to the Holensstraat stop, a short walk from the sportpark. A better option is leaving from Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station, where the GVB Stadbus 69 (€1.86) will drop you off at stop Bonpad, right across the street. Car, cab, or ride share is about 20 minutes from the heart of downtown. It is about an hour to get to Amsterdam from Rotterdam and 45 minutes from Utrecht, and then the bus or drive to the park. There is a large parking lot for the sportpark, and there is plenty of free bicycle parking. Cabs and ride shares can drop you off right at the park entrance, right next to the field. The stadium just has one entrance leading to the stairs up to the seating area on each side of the grandstand. The stairs are the only pinch point, and the wide plaza makes walking around easy and hassle-free. Return on Investment 4 There’s no charge to get into the park, so you can’t really argue with that. Everything is €4.00 or under, including alcohol, so you can’t quibble on the prices. . Extras 2 As with all the Dutch stadiums, extras are at a minimum. The clubhouse has the usual selection of baseball memorabilia (both Dutch and MLB), as well as club trophies and awards. The stadium is dedicated to local Dutch baseball great Loek Loevendie. As Dutch clubhouse personnel are almost all volunteers, they are polite and helpful to a person and are always glad to talk to and assist visitors. Final Thoughts Loek Loevendie Ballpark is middle-of-the-pack in most areas, but it is a good atmosphere to watch a game for a good value a short distance from the largest city in the country.

Photo by Kirsten Richards, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.57 Munhak Baseball Stadium 482 Munhak-dong, Nam-gu Incheon, South Korea SSG Landers website Munhal Baseball Stadium website Year Opened: 2002 Capacity: 28,500 NOTE....This review was done while the team was known as the SK Wyverns. In 2021, the team was acquired and renamed the SSG Landers. Munhak Stadium, Home of the SK Wyverns Munhak Stadium is home to the SK Wyverns, one of the eight teams (expanding to nine teams in 2015) contesting the Korea Baseball Championship (the KBO). The SK Wyverns incorporated in 2000 and have been playing at Munhak since it opened in 2002. In that time, the SK Wyverns have played in the Championship Series seven times and won it outright on three occasions (2007, 2008, 2010). The stadium seats 28,500 and regularly sells out. A large portion of the seats are general admission, but lower level infield seating is reserved. There is also a grass area, a Korean BBQ zone, a party deck and a number of extras inside the stadium, away from the field. Like all professional baseball teams in Korea, the SK Wyverns have passionate fans who know and participate in a number of songs and chants throughout the game. Munhak is a lovely modern stadium that is very easy to get to and very easy to move around in. An afternoon or evening at Munhak is a guaranteed good time. Food & Beverage 5 Munhak Stadium has vendors selling pizza, burgers, fried chicken, hand-cut fries and hot dogs in the $4-$10 range. There are also a wide-range of Korean snacks available, including grilled pork skin, fried octopus, fish cakes, spicy rice cakes, dumplings, deep fried sweet potato and cup noodles. Prices range from 3 pieces for $1 through to about $10. Standard sodas are approximately the same price as standard Korean lager beers (Cass, Hite and OB) for $2/can. Lemon and honey tea is a standout treat on a cold evening in early May. Lines are short and move very quickly. The Korean BBQ zone is a highlight as well. As with all Korean baseball games, you are welcome to bring anything you want to eat or drink into the stadium with you. It is common to see people dragging very large eskies/coolers into the stadium. In short, you don’t have to restrict yourself to unopened water and packaged crisps – bring in exactly what you want, including alcoholic beverages. A note to the traveler – it is polite to bag your rubbish and take it out to the concourse and leave it in/nearby the bins. Atmosphere 5 Munhak Stadium is part of the Munhak Sports Complex, which has hosted a number of large international games and will host the Asian Games in September 2014. The setting is very peaceful, with wide tree-shaded pedestrian avenues for crowds to make their way between stadiums. The baseball stadium provides painted lines for you to follow from the Munhak Sports Complex subway station exit to the ticket window and around to the relevant gate. Views from the outside of the concourse take in forested hills, the city of Incheon and the Munhak Sports Complex. Inside the stadium, sight lines are good from all general admission areas, with the seats in the outfield oriented towards second base. Shade/shelter from the rain is available in the upper areas of the grandstand. The third base side of the park is in full sun during day games. The first base side gets shade earlier in the day. There is not a lot of room between the rows of seating, but the pitch is not so extreme that an accidental bump feels like it will send you tumbling down to the field. The pitch is steeper in the upper level of the stadium. The lower level infield seating is reserved and entry is not permitted without a ticket. Autograph hunters are best off to wait outside the locker rooms after the games – which are easy to find, as there will usually be a polite gauntlet of fans lining the way from the exit to the team buses. The scoreboard is large and easy to read and contains all of the standard stats for pitchers and hitters. The animations for foul balls, strikeouts and extra-base hits are a stand-out. Jersey numbers and the outcomes of previous at-bats are not shown. The home team dugout is on the first base line, away team is on the third base line and the fans of each team group themselves behind the relevant dugouts. Neighborhood 4 There is not a great deal in the area immediately surrounding the stadium, however the stadium is on the subway line, which gives easy and quick access to Incheon and only takes a little longer to get back to Seoul.Incheon and Seoul are both very safe cities and it is comfortable, safe and easy to ride the subway at night. Fans 5 The fans are very passionate and very loud. People of all ages have their gloves ready to catch a foul ball or a home run. I have never seen any kind of aggression between fans at a Korean baseball game and don’t expect that I ever will. Fans are largely friendly and welcoming to foreigners and may go so far as to offer you some of their picnic. There are cheer sections for both the home team and the away team. The cheer section has a small stage for the cheerleaders to lead chants and provide between-inning entertainment, however most of the crowd can and will participate in all songs and chants. Two thundersticks (inflatable cylinders) are the key equipment for participating in cheering. Access 4 Munhak Stadium is best accessed via the Incheon line on the subway. From either Incheon International airport or Gimpo International airport there is one transfer to get onto the Incheon line. Travel time from Incheon Airport is approximately 1 hour. The other practical way to get to the stadium is from the Incheon bus terminal, which is one station away from Munhak Sports Complex on the subway. Subway tickets are approximately $1 each way (1200 Won). Bathroom queues are short and move fast. Cleanliness of the ladies was excellent. I did not inspect the men’s room. Mobility impaired travelers may have a difficult time navigating to their seats in the general admission areas, as the space between rows is narrow. Return on Investment 5 An afternoon or evening out at Korean baseball is always worth your time. Prices are roughly equivalent to Minor League ball – $8-$20 for regular seating and up to $50/head for boxes, Korean BBQ seating, etc. There is a wide range of reasonably priced merchandise – from $3 keyrings up to $150 for player jerseys. As a visitor, sitting in or behind the cheering section for either the home or the away team is great fun. Tickets to Korean baseball can be a little difficult to acquire ahead of time if you do not have a Korean mobile phone number, a Korean credit card and the ability to read Korean. If, for mobility reasons you need to book ahead to get a seat at a table or in one of the boxes, you should definitely get help from a travel agent, hotel concierge, Korean workmate or friend. For tickets on the day I advise arriving a couple of hours early to buy your general admission tickets and acquire a good spot. Extras 4 There is a smoking area downstairs and outside on the first base side. Other things downstairs in the fan-zone area include a pitching speed gun machine, batting cages, casts of the players’ hands and the kids playground area.

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71 Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park 360 Fishburne St. Charleston, SC 29403 The Citadel Bulldogs website Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park website Year Opened: 1997 Capacity: 6,000 The Home of the Diamond Dogs The Citadel was founded in 1829 as an arsenal and guardhouse to protect the city of Charleston. In 1842 it became the South Carolina Military Academy. It moved to its present location along the Ashley River in 1922. Presently it has a cadet corps of nearly 2,300. It has been ranked #1 in the South as a Public College offering up to a Master’s Degree and the Best College in the South for Veterans by US News and World Report. Each Friday at 3:45 pm the full corps of cadets participate in a full-dress uniform parade on the parade grounds. This event is free and open to the public and is well worth seeing. The athletic teams representing The Citadel are known as the Bulldogs and they play in the Southern Conference. Baseball has been played at The Citadel since 1889 and has been one of the school’s most successful sports. Over the years it has had four forty-win seasons and twenty-six thirty-win seasons. The baseball Bulldogs have won the Southern Conference regular season championship thirteen times and won the Southern Conference tournament championship eight times. The team has made the NCAA tournament eight different times. In 1990, they became the only military college ever to make the College World Series. Since 1997, the Bulldogs have called the off-campus Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park their home field. It is located just across a marsh from the main Citadel campus. The 6,000-seat stadium is also home to the Charleston RiverDogs, and is named for longtime mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Riley served as mayor for 10 terms, serving from 1975-2016, and was best known for guiding the city through the recovery from Hurricane Hugo. Mayor Riley is a Citadel graduate. Food & Beverage 3 Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park offers a wide variety of foods at its concession stands. Amongst its vendors are the Peanut and Pretzel Café, Dave’s Sausage World, Grab-N- Go, Smokin’ Joe’s, Scoops, Pie House, Dog House and Dog World. The concessions menu does contain several uniquely Charleston items. The RiverDog is a beef hot dog with cole slaw, Carolina BBQ mustard sauce and pickled okra. The stadium also is known for its Coastal Shrimp Burger. Another popular item is the Homewrecker, which is a hot dog with slaw, pimento cheese, pickles, okra and BBQ sauce. The number of stands open and depth of menu items available at Citadel games depends on the opponent and the anticipated crowd. At the least, fans can expect a basic menu which includes hot dogs ($6), nachos ($4), corn dogs ($6), chicken tenders ($8) and hamburgers ($8.50). Pepsi brand sodas are available for $4.50, bottled water for $4 and domestic beers for $6. Atmosphere 4 The Joe is a terrific venue to enjoy a baseball game. It offers scenic views of both the Ashley River and The Citadel campus, which is located just across a marsh from the stadium. Its architecture is in keeping with the surrounding area, including brick exterior walls and iron gates. The seating bowl is close to the field and primarily around the infield. There is no seating beyond the outfield walls. The main entry into the park is along the third baseline, as the first base side of the park lies along the banks of the Ashley River. It’s no wonder that Riley Park has been chosen as a frequent host for the Southern Conference Baseball Championships and four South Atlantic League All Star Games. There are some seats at the higher levels of the stadium that are covered by a hanging roof. This can make a huge difference in fan comfort during the hot and humid spring and summer afternoons at The Joe. Neighborhood 5 Joseph P. Riley Park is located just north and west of the Charleston Downtown Historic District. It has a very picturesque setting along the Ashley River. It is located just a few blocks from The Citadel campus. Tours are available daily, with both self-guided or guided tours available. The architecture and history of the school are well worth checking out. After your tour is over and you have worked up an appetite, head over to Rodney Scott’s BBQ. The James Beard Award winner serves up a unique form of Low Country BBQ. Also in the area is the Palmetto Brewery, which bills itself as “South Carolina’s Oldest Brewery Since Prohibition.” Hotels convenient to Riley Park include the Courtyard Marriott Historic District and the Comfort Inn Downtown Charleston. Fans 4 The local business and political power structure in Charleston typically are Citadel graduates and the alumni base in the city is quite large. The baseball team has long been the most successful athletic program at the college, so it is not unusual to see the mayor, members of the city council and leaders from the business community at the games. The Citadel and the city are so intertwined in history that the local community has adopted the school as its own, even if they did not attend the school. Cadets attend the games as their busy training and academic schedule allows. They are by far the loudest contingent at the game. Access 3 Riley Park is easily accessed from any number of directions: From Downtown Charleston: Take Broad Street west until it becomes Lockwood Drive. Continue to follow Lockwood for ½ mile and the ballpark will be on your left From North Charleston: Take I-26 East to Highway 17 South. Turn right on Lockwood Drive and stadium will be on your left. From: Mount Pleasant: Take Highway 17 across the Ravenel Bridge into Charleston. Turn right on Lockwood and follow it until you reach the stadium, which will be on your left. Once at the stadium you will find the access to be excellent. The concourse is very wide, and both concessions and restrooms are frequent enough that you should not encounter any long lines. Return on Investment 4 Fans attending a Citadel baseball game will receive an excellent return on investment. All home games are played at one of the top-rated stadiums in the minor leagues, with amenities not typically found in a college stadium. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for students, with all seating considered general admission. Concessions at Joseph P.Riley, Jr Park are above average in quality, so expect the prices to be higher than usual for a college facility. Parking in privately owned parking lots adjacent to the stadium is $5. . Extras 3 The major baseball rivals for The Citadel are the crosstown College of Charleston Cougars, the Furman Paladins and the other military academy in the Southern Conference… the VMI Keydets. The Citadel owns lifetime playing rights at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park as the facility is built on land formerly owned by The Citadel. The school donated the property to the city of Charleston. Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park has hosted fifteen Southern Conference Tournaments over the years. Final Thoughts There is always something special about attending a ball game in which a military school is involved. The playing of the National Anthem means a little more and the pageantry of having a large portion of the crowd in military uniforms makes it hard to root against the home team. The close proximity of The Joe to The Citadel campus makes it very easy for you to take a tour of the campus with its manicured grounds and truly unique architecture.

Photo Courtesy Grambling State Tigers Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.14 Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park Younger St Grambling, LA 71245 Grambling State Tigers website Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park website Year Opened: 1962 Capacity: 56,000 Home to Grambling State Baseball Located in north Louisiana on the campus Grambling State University, Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park serves as home to GSU Tiger baseball. While Wilbert Ellis Field at Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones Park is certainly a mouthful, it’s hard to deny the impact both men have had on the program and university. Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones is a beloved former president of Grambling State and Wilbert Ellis is a legendary retired coach of GSU baseball. Despite being in the shadow of Grambling football and basketball, Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park provides Tiger baseball fans with a modern facility equipped with shaded seating areas thanks to overhead awnings. Food & Beverage 2 The ballpark provides basic concessions at a reasonable cost. The options at the concession stand are limited. However, you can find a couple of satisfying entree items in the foot-long hot dog for $5, a regular hot dog for $3, and nachos. Chili & cheese are available at no extra charge. Snacks including assorted candy and chips are available as well. There isn’t a menu posted at the concession stand, but the staff working the stand will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. The ballpark serves both canned and bottled Coca-Cola products. Canned drinks are $2 and bottled are $3. Though there’s not much of a variety to choose from, the hot dog with chili and cheese will satisfy your hunger during the game. Atmosphere 3 Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park provides Grambling State baseball with a modern facility and a small-college baseball atmosphere in the comfortable confines of the GSU campus. The ballpark benefits from recent upgrades to the seating areas. The bricked columns behind the grandstands are complemented with posters memorializing Grambling baseball accomplishments and both coaches embedded in the stadium namesake. On hot and sunny days, the awning which covers both grandstands is certainly a bonus. There are a few areas where the atmosphere deserves some improvement. Though the chain link fence surrounding the backstop area looks new, it negatively impacts your view of the field. Replacing this with netting would have a major positive impact. Also, the field itself could use some TLC. Entertainment throughout the game is strictly on-field play. In a traditional setting, don’t expect any shenanigans between innings by the marketing crew. Music is piped in throughout the game, however, the sound system is not adequate for the facility and is of poor quality. The home-town fans typically sit in the bleacher grandstand along third baseline under the awning. When the weather cooperates, the chair backs just behind the backstop put you literally right behind the action. Fans of the opposing team typically sit closer to the visitor’s dugout in the grandstand down first baseline. Neighborhood 1 Being hosted at an on-campus stadium, especially one as appealing and comfortable at Grambling State University is a plus. While city of Grambling certainly doesn’t offer a large metropolitan experience, the small college town provides enough to satisfy a day in town for a baseball game. While in town, be sure to check out Ra’jo’s Chicken & Waffles. This unique, local joint serves up its delicious namesake in a friendly environment. Other local options include Spivey’s Fried Chicken and Cain Gang Chicken and Waffles. The GSU campus, in itself, is an attraction. Be sure to spend some time next to the water fountain on campus and checking-out the Greek trees which feature colors of the campus fraternities and sororities on their trunks. The Eddie G. Robinson Museum memorializes one of the winningest college football coaches of all time. It’s a must visit while in town. For extended stays, check out nearby Ruston for additional options. Both Shreveport and Monroe are larger cities and located within driving range. You won’t find adequate lodging in Grambling. Just about 5 miles east in Ruston, however, there will be multiple hotel options. Check out the Hampton Inn (1315 N Trenton St). Fans 1 Matching the small college environment is a small, but passionate, fan base. Fans in attendance are primarily family and friends of the ballplayers themselves, along with a few long-time passionate supporters of GSU athletics. The typical crowd for Grambling baseball games averages around 50-150. Despite some historical success as a program, baseball has not emerged in the area as a must-see event. Getting more fans out to the ballpark would go a long way towards improving the overall game day experience. While GSU baseball doesn’t feature any specific traditions or chants, families of the players on the field certainly get into the spirit of the game. Expect to hear cheers of support when runs are scored, scorning of umpires when calls go the other way, and words of encouragement when the batter steps into the box. Access 4 Access to Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park is a mixed bag. The drive to the stadium, access into the gates, and ability to move around once inside are all fairly convenient. The location of Grambling, however, certainly isn’t centrally located. Grambling is accessible of I-20 from both the east and west of the city. Exit onto Hwy 149 and head south towards the GSU campus. Take a left onto College Ave and veer right onto Founder Ave. Immediately turn left onto Younger St. Younger will dead-end at the stadium. Where Younger meets the ballpark is a parking lot that actually serves the Freshman Village Hall and a couple of other dorms, but you can park here during the game. Parking is free and though you may need to park a little further down the street, there are usually spots available. The green space down below the Freshmen village and ballpark is also available, when necessary. The ticket booth and main entrance gate are located directly across from each other. You shouldn’t experience any lines or frustration as you get your ticket and head into the stadium. Saturday games typically feature a doubleheader. The ticket window staff usually leave for the day beginning around the second inning of the second game. The concourses inside the stadium are spacious and allow you to move around easily. Restrooms are small, but typically adequate for Grambling baseball crowds. Return on Investment 2 It’s hard to beat the cost of admission to a GSU baseball game. Adults get in for $5 and most small children get in free of charge. The seating areas have numbered seats, but most in attendance generally adhere to a general admission environment. Though your overall investment will be minimal, the experience may leave you somewhat wanting. . Extras 2 Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park features a few “extra” items which support the overall game day atmosphere. As you enter the stadium, it’s hard to miss the posters which memorialize the GSU baseball past. The displays for both former coaches Wilbert Ellis Field and Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones come with brief descriptions you can read. There’s also a poster which lists GSU’s SWAC conference titles in baseball. As you enter the ballpark, the ticket greeter will hand you a free printout which includes the starting line-ups and game notes.

Photos by Michael Rusignuolo, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71 Sportpark De Slotbosse Toren Kasteeldreef 32, 4907 EA Oosterhaut, Netherlands Oosterhaut Twins website Sportpark De Slotbosse Toren website Year Opened: 1976 Capacity: 1,000 Middle of the Road The Twins are relative late-comers to the Dutch baseball scene, founded in 1969 as an extension of the Twins SC (Sporting Club) football club, playing their first games on the fields next to the football pitches near the club’s sportpark. A surge in popularity in the late 70s drove the team from their second-class surroundings, and they moved to their current location at Sportpark De Slotbosse in 1976 and reformed themselves as the “Twins Sporting Club.” Honkbal Hoofdklasse uses a promotion and relegation system familiar to European football (soccer) fans, and the Twins broke into the top level for the first time in the late 90s, even merging with another local team (Feniks) in 1996. Their fates have gone up and down over the years, but they have made it back to the Honkbal Hoofdklasse since 2016. Sportpark De Slotbosse (or Sportspark Twins, as they like to call it) is an average facility in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, but it suffers from some specific liabilities that make it a bit problematic for non-Dutch visitors. [All prices are in Euros. At the time of writing, one Euro is worth about $1.15.] Food & Beverage 1 All of the teams in Honkbal Hoofdklasse have clubhouses that contain bars and food concessions for their fans. Oosterhaut is no different, with a small selection of beer, snacks, and food items such as sandwiches and sausages available for purchase. The distinction here, however, is that the Twins clubhouse does not take cash, and it does not take non-Dutch bank credit cards, which means effectively there is no way for a non-Dutch person to buy food or beverages at the game. Given that nearly all of their customers are locals, this is obviously a minor issue for them, but for anyone visiting from outside the country, this means no food for you unless you bring it with you, a regrettable situation. Consider this a warning to bring your own. Atmosphere 3 Sportpark De Slotbosse Toren is a baseball-only facility the Twins moved to when they split from their original football parent club in the late 70s. It isn’t the nicest ballpark in the world, but it gets the job done. It is about on the level of Rookie league park in the American minor leagues. The main ball field is made up mostly of chain-link fencing for walls and structures. A paved plaza extends around the park and the clubhouse on the third base side of home plate. A single level of molded plastic seats sits on concrete steps behind home plate, running about half the way to first and third bases. A small press box is perched at the top of the seats. A row of concrete benches runs along the third base line, ground-zero for visiting fans near the third base visiting dugout. A small digital scoreboard just records the score, balls, strikes, outs, and inning in left-center field. Trees rise above the chain-link outfield wall in an unbroken line. Smoking is very much still a thing in the otherwise progressive Netherlands, and there are several picnic tables in the plaza in front of the clubhouse with ash trays built in to accommodate them. Scattered standing tables also provide a vantage to watch the game from the plaza. Here is an important bit of information: Sportpark De Slotbosse Toren does *not* have lights. While this does not affect the afternoon games on the weekend that start at 2 PM, this does affect the Thursday night games that start at 7:30 PM. Even if the Twins are scheduled for a home game, they will *not* be playing at Sportpark De Slotbosse Toren. They either will be the home team at an opponent field or play at other field beside this one. So be alert if you’re visiting on a Thursday. As is the case in most Honkbal Hoofdklasse games, there are no mascots or between-innings entertainment that permeate all levels of US baseball. You get in-stadium PA announcements, batter walk-up music, and the Seventh Inning Stretch, period. Sportpark De Slotbosse Toren is one of the only Honkbal Hoofdklasse fields to even fly the Dutch flag. Since this is a step up from club ball, however, there are some nice vestiges of sportsmanship. Each batter coming the plate for the first time usually shakes the hand of the umpire and the opposing catcher. Neighborhood 3 The park is located at the northern part of the small city of Oosterhaut in North Brabant. While there isn’t a lot to do, it does have a decent selection of places to rest your head and a plethora of dining options. South of the park in the city center, Oosterhaut is home to dozens of restaurants. Standouts include the Thai Qualithai, Italian La Forchetta, cozy Dutch Eetlokaal Kliners, and Dutch Het Houtse Meer. While there are places to eat, unfortunately there’s not a ton to do in Oosterhaut. The two main attractions in the town are the Bakkerij Museum Oosterhaut (Oosterhaut Bakery Museum), a hands-on museum where you can try different historical baking techniques; and the Toy and Carnival Museum, a fun, child-friendly look at toys and pastimes through history. Oosterhaut does house a handful of hotels and B&Bs. Closest to the park is the Bed & Breakfast Villa BBB, and further south are the budget A-Hotel Oosterhaut, upscale Il Vicino, budget Hotel Cage ‘t Zonneke, and the mid-range Lodewijck. Fans 3 Baseball (or honkbal, as it is known locally) is very much a fringe sport in The Netherlands, and for all of Europe for that matter. The Dutch Honkbal Hoofdklasse is one of the only semipro/professional leagues on the continent, sharing the distinction with the Italian Baseball League. The Twins draw about the average Dutch baseball crowds (between 100-250 people per game). After games and practices at the surrounding fields end, the players and spectators come over to watch the top-level men play their games. Another out-of-the-ordinary status quo is that there are usually pet dogs at every game. It is a welcome change for dog lovers, less so if you don’t like them. The Twins fans (and the visiting fans in attendance) are into the games and pay attention to the on-field action. They are definitely a small, but dedicated baseball fan base. Access 2 Unfortunately, Oosterhaut is not very convenient to get to, and it is one of the longer trips from the major cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam) in all of the Honkbal Hoofdklasse. While the park is a short distance from the city center, Oosterhaut is connected only by bus to the nearest transit hub (Breda). Arriva Bus 325 or 326 will get you to bus stop Sterrenlaan, Oosterhaut (E3.28) just across the street from the ballpark, but it is a half-hour bus ride after getting to Breda itself (an hour from Amsterdam by train, a half hour from Rotterdam). Your best bet is driving, cab, or rideshare from Breda, which is only 15 minutes, or half the time of the bus trip. It is ~45 minute drive from Rotterdam, and an hour and twenty minutes from Amsterdam. There is a small parking lot by the ballpark, and there is plenty of free bicycle parking. Cabs and ride shares can drop you off right at the park entrance. There is one entrance to the facility through the main gate. This is the only choke point in the entire park, as it opens out onto a plaza and wide walkways that connect it with all the other fields and facilities in the complex, allowing free access. Return on Investment 5 This is kind of a tough one to quantify. There is no admission fee and no way for non-Dutch patrons to buy any food items, so technically everything is free and the value in infinite. But it does kind of limit you in what you are getting. . Extras 2 As with all the Dutch stadiums, extras are at a minimum. The clubhouse has a selection of baseball memorabilia, as well as club trophies and awards. Whimsical wooden signs guides you at the entrance to the park, and there are two retired numbers in the corners of the outfield walls (Martijn Meeuiws – 33, and Patrick van Gool – 23). And that’s about it. As Dutch clubhouse personnel are almost all volunteers, they are polite and helpful to a person and are always glad to talk to and assist visitors. Final Thoughts Sportpark De Slotbosse Toren is an average Honkbal Hoofdklasse ballpark. It is in a nice enough location, but it is difficult to get to, and non-Dutch folks won’t be able to buy anything while they are there–so bring your own.

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14 Ronnie G. Childress Field at Hennon Stadium Catamount Rd Cullowhee, NC 28723 Western Carolina Catamounts website Ronnie G. Childress Field at Hennon Stadium website Year Opened: 1978 Capacity: 1,500 Mountain Cats With Bats Western Carolina University (WCU) is part of the North Carolina University System. It is in Cullowhee, NC, and has a student body of 12,000 students. The largest majors at WCU are the Applied Sciences, Business and Arts and Science programs. Sports teams at Western Carolina are known as the Catamounts. Catamounts are a breed of mountain cats that are indigenous to this section of the Great Smokey and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The baseball program at WCU is headquartered at Ronnie Childress Field at Hennon Stadium. Hennon Stadium opened in 1978, and underwent renovations in 1990, 1991, 2002, 2003 and 2009. The stadium is located at the southern end of the WCU campus. The stadium holds 1,500 fans in two sets of bleachers and one main grandstand. The grandstand sits directly behind home plate and is covered by a roof structure. This helps to cover this premium seating area from the wintry elements that are possible during the early spring section of the schedule. The restrooms and a concession stand are in a brick structure on the plaza behind the grandstand. The baseball Catamounts play in the Southern Conference. Over the years the team has won 12 regular season championships and 10 conference tournaments championships. The team has appeared in 12 NCAA tournaments. The school sees Appalachian State University as their main rival. Catamounts Signature Seasons, Photo by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Food & Beverage 3 There is one concession stand at Hennon Stadium. It is located on the plaza behind the grandstand. It serves the typical baseball standards. Items available include 8-inch Papa John’s pizza ($8), BBQ sandwiches ($7), hot dogs ($5), nachos w/cheese ($5), popcorn ($4), chips ($3), candy ($3), peanuts ($4) and pretzels ($4). Drinks include Pepsi brand sodas ($4), frozen lemonade ($5), Gatorade ($4) and bottled water ($3). Beer is not served at Western Carolina baseball games. There is a brick dining area on the plaza next to the concession stand. It has tables and chairs for fans who may not want to balance their food and drinks on their laps in the stands. Atmosphere 3 The atmosphere at games held at Hennon Stadium is electric, as home sports competitions at the school are very popular due to its isolated location in the mountains. The stands are often full of students, faculty, and townspeople. The seating bowl at Hennon Stadium includes two sections of bleacher seating down the first and third base lines. Season ticket holders and major donors are seated in chairback seats in either a roof-sheltered grandstand behind home plate or at the field level of both the bleachers and the grandstand. The field at Hennon Stadium has dimensions of 325’ LF and RF, with the dead away CF being 390’. The outfield features some interesting elements, as there are two sections of the outfield wall that are 20 feet high and 100 feet long. The pair are known as the “Purple Monsters.” Neighborhood 3 The “neighborhood” surrounding Hennon Stadium is the Western Carolina University campus and the small unincorporated community of Cullowhee, NC. The university is the lifeblood of the town, as Cullowhee has no downtown area, just a few stores lining Highway 107. Townspeople rely on the sports and cultural programs sponsored by the school for their entertainment. The Mountain Heritage Center on the WCU campus offers special activities throughout the year. The closest lodging to the school is the Holiday Inn in Sylva, NC, which is about 7 miles north of the campus. The other major employer in the area is the Cherokee Resort and Casino located about 15 minutes north of the casino. Nature plays the major role as a neighbor to the WCU campus. The school is located at the intersection of the Great Smokey Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains. They provide a stunning backdrop for any outdoors activity at the school. Asheville, NC is the closest large city to the Western Carolina campus. It is located 52 miles north of WCU via some very winding mountain roads. Fans 4 The fan base of the Catamounts is the students, faculty, and townspeople of WCU and the town of Cullowhee. They are a hearty bunch that attend the games no matter how inclement the weather is in this mountain community. The stands are filled with people wearing the purple and gold colors of WCU. It is like a family reunion at each game, as both WCU and the Cullowhee community are small enough that everybody knows each other in the area. The students at WCU are honored for their loyalty with some prime seats in Hennon Stadium. The “Cat Cage “section is in the first row of seats directly behind home plate at field level, where they can support the Catamounts and good naturally rib the umpires and the opposition. The fanbase is usually friendly to supporters from the opposition. They realize the visitors have made quite an effort to be present at a game in this isolated area, and they want to be good hosts. Access 3 WCU is in an isolated area, more than 50 miles from an interstate or a major city. Any route you take to get to the school is going to take you through some very winding mountain roads, with some steep inclines along the way. On the other hand, you will be rewarded with some of gorgeous scenery you can imagine. Directions from Ashville; Take I-40 West to exit 27 (Highway 74 West) Follow Highway 74 West to exit 85 in Sylva, NC. At the third light in Sylva turn left onto Highway 107. Head south on Highway 107 to the campus, which will be on your left. Once you are on campus, turn right and follow road past football stadium. You will eventually reach the four-story parking deck. The baseball stadium is just beyond this parking deck. Directions from Atlanta: Take I-85 North to I-985 North, exiting to your left. I-985 eventually becomes GA 365 North, and then US Highway 441. Continue Highway 441 until you reach Dillsboro, NC. In Dillsboro turn right onto Business 23. At Highway 107 head south to the campus, which will be on your left. Once on campus, turn right and follow the road past the football stadium. You will eventually reach a four-story parking deck. Park for free in this parking deck. The baseball stadium is located behind this parking deck. Return on Investment 3 Attending a Catamounts game at Hennon Stadium will not leave your wallet empty. Parking at Childress Field at Hennon Stadium is free in the parking deck adjacent to the stadium. Overflow parking is available in the smaller lot beyond the outfield walls. Tickets are $9 for Catamount baseball games. You should pay cash at the park for your tickets, as any online purchases or credit card purchases have a service charge of $2 added to the cost. The prices charged for concessions are very reasonable compared to other college venues. Extras 3 One extra must go to the gorgeous mountain scenery that surrounds the WCU campus. It forms a beautiful backdrop for games at Hennon Stadium. Stunning View from Hennon Stadium, Photo by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey The pennants from each school in the Southern Conference fly at the top of the bleachers at Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts have a winning percentage of .700 in games played at Hennon Stadium. Final Thoughts Childress Field at Hennon Stadium offers one of the most stunning locations in all of college baseball. The Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains form a gorgeous backdrop to Catamount ball games. You’ll also experience a friendly crowd that is a very welcoming to visitors to their small town.

Photos by Kirsten Richards, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 Daejeon Hanbat Baseball Stadium 375 Daejong-ro, Jung-gu Daejeon, South Korea Hanwha Eagles website Daejeon Hanbat Baseball Stadium website Year Opened: 1964 Capacity: 14,133 Eagles and Robots The Hanwha Eagles joined the KBO in 1985 as the first expansion team, bringing the number of clubs in the league to seven at the time. They have won the KBO Championship once (1999) and have had five second place finishes, four of which were between 1988-1992. The Hanwha Eagles were originally called the Binggrae Eagles – Binggrae being the confectionary branch of Hanwha. LA Dodgers pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu was secured from the Hanwha Eagles for a posting fee when he reached restricted free-agency. Not only are Ryu jerseys and t-shirts still widely seen, they are also still for sale from the team shop and it is common to see fans at Hanwha games wearing Dodger blue. Despite Hanwha’s poor performance over the last few years, their fans are still passionate, loud and friendly. The introduction of robot cheerleaders in the outfield during the 2014 season was widely reported in sports media all over the world. The robots themselves are virtually invisible to fans in the outfield area, but are more visible to fans in the infield stands. Hanbat stadium was first opened in 1964 and has been the home of the Hanwha Eagles since they first joined the league in 1985. Food & Beverage 4 The vendors outside Hanbat stadium sell a variety of fried chicken that you are welcome to take into the venue with you. Inside the stadium are pizza and hot dog vendors, along with freshly made potato chips, a number of G&S; corner-store style shops and traditional Korean snacks. All prices are in line with prices outside the park – approximately 2,000 Won for a can of beer and 1,200 Won for ice cream in a chocolate-lined wafer-cone. Most days, the lines for food and drinks move very quickly. Food and drink can be purchased on the first base side at Hanbat without leaving the interior concourse, which is very pleasant. If you do need to head to the outside concourse to acquire pizza or hot dogs, there are small TV screens showing the broadcast of the game at strategic points around the concourse. Atmosphere 4 The Hanbat Stadium skyline is blessed by the large and distinctive hills of Bomunsan Park. The KBO season takes in spring, summer and autumn and the hills change colour with the seasons. From the second tier of the first base side, there is also a view into the soccer stadium next door. The Hanbat Sports complex has gardens, a sculpted gateway and a statue of Yun Bong-gil (a famous Korean freedom-fighter) as part of the complex. Hanwha take the first base dugout and Hanwha fans take the first base grandstand and the right outfield. The third base grandstand gets the sun. Over summer, games start late enough that this is not too problematic, but it can still be very cool for day games in spring and early autumn. Make sure to bring something warm to wear at this time of year. On game days, especially game days with big crowds, the forecourt area in front of the stadium fills up with fans wearing Hanwha orange, or lining up outside the team store to have experts finalise their new jerseys with iron-on stickers. Another huge line also forms for access to the compressed air to inflate their cheering sticks. Hanwha have not been the most successful team in the league over the past few years, but there are usually plenty of supporters at weekend home games and plenty of enthusiastic fans cheering in the right hand side of the outfield. Hanbat has a few different kinds of seating areas, with the priciest and most comfortable seating directly behind home plate. Skyboxes, table seating in both the infield and the outfield, regular plastic stadium seating in the infield and outfield, a ‘glamping’ zone, and grassed family picnic areas round out the other seating options. The upper tier of seating at Hanbat Stadium is even more cramped than Jamsil Stadium (home of the Doosan Bears and LG Twins), but not as steep. The cramped conditions can make moving around with food and drink at this level an exercise in agility and balance. Bringing everything you need to your seats in one trip is highly recommended if sitting in the upper tiers, as is keeping an eye out for people carrying beverages in the row above you. The lower levels carry nowhere near the same risks of falling food and drink. The upside of sitting here on the first base side are the lovely views of Bomunsan behind right field. The cheering section at Hanbat is in the right hand side of the outfield in the general seating area. Hanwha has the usual cheerleaders, big drums and music arrangement. The cheerleaders themselves are extremely entertaining. It is a good idea to get to the stadium reasonably early to secure your seats in this section. Given that the pitch is so gentle in this part of the stadium, it is better to either sit right at the back of this section or between the concourse and the stage. The view from this section only includes one of the big scoreboards, which shows the pitch count and batter stats. To track each individual at bat and the game progress, scoreboards directly behind home plate and on the far end of the third base grandstand must also be consulted. Hanbat is an old stadium that has had a lot of work done to it. The two big scoreboards are both clear and visible from most parts of the stadium. The results of previous at-bats are not shown, but there is plenty of information about both batter and pitcher available. The animations for each out are also a lot of fun. The bullpens at Hanbat are behind the left field wall. Relieving pitchers are driven to the infield. One of the most unusual parts of the Hanbat experience is the robot cheerleaders near the middle of the outfield. The robots were installed in 2014 and are connected to the internet, letting people not attending the game send messages through the scoreboards. The robots are pretty much invisible from the outfield, but their signs are very clear from the grandstand seating. Hanwha fans, both local and expat are super friendly and always happy to carry on celebrating after a win. The atmosphere at a winning Hanwha game is joyous and infectious. Even at a losing game, fans will keep chanting and cheering until the bitter end. Neighborhood 3 Hanbat Stadium is about a mile from the main Daejeon train station. Walking from the train station is easy and straightforward. There is both an underground mall connected to the train station and the city’s subway line. Above ground is a traditional market. The Daejeon River is between the train station and the main shopping district in this part off Daejeon. The park and the river walkway/cycleway are often full of people enjoying the sunshine. On summer weekends there are often performers slightly upstream of the road to the train station. Near the stadium itself is the aforementioned Bomunsan Park, which has a number of cultural attractions – including several temples and a museum – many hiking trails and a water park. The entrance to the park is an easy 5-10 minute walk from the stadium and a nice way to spend an afternoon before an evening game. The stadium is also right next to a very large collection of love motels, so there is no difficulty in finding nearby accommodation. Better value for money can be found in the downtown area, with the Good Morning Residence particularly standing out. Apartment style rooms can be had for about $70/night. The main downtown area of Daejeon is well to the north of the stadium area and includes a very lively club and pub scene. Walking from the new downtown area is a little far, but from the main train station is both easy and interesting. Daejeon is yet another very safe Korean city in which to travel on your own. Fans 5 Fans at Hanbat are very loyal to their team. The first chant of each game is the batting order. Like all Korean teams, each player has their own crowd song and movements dedicated to them. Korean fans travel to games, so it is not unusual to see the visiting team very well and very vocally supported. Hanwha fans can be out-cheered in their own stadium when Hanwha are not doing so well, but generally the fans are very engaged in both the game and the effort of cheering for the team. There are many Hyun-jin Ryu jerseys around and Ryu’s career and the Dodgers are followed with great interest and a sense of pride. Access 3 Hanbat Stadium is a little out of the way, being a solid 20 minute walk from the nearest subway stations (Jungangno or Jung-gu Office), or a good half hour walk from the Daejeon train station. A KTX train from Seoul to Daejeon takes less than 90 minutes and they run every 15 minutes, so this is very easy. Tickets from Seoul to Daejeon cost just over 20,000 won one-way. From the Daejeon train station it is a reasonably comfortable walk to the stadium. If you decide to catch a taxi, you’ll need about 5,000 won. It is best to ignore the main taxi stand at the station and cross the main road to reach the smaller taxi stand a little to the right on the other side of the road. Taxis can only turn right out of the train station and must go several hundred metres before they can do a U-turn back in the direction of the stadium. Bus number 2 runs directly from the station to the stadium. There is a parking lot associated with Hanbat Stadium, but it is much simpler to walk, bus or taxi to the stadium. Traffic can be extremely slow down Daejeon-ro on game day and it can take several changes to make it through each set of traffic lights. Concourses are narrow, but are usually not uncomfortably crowded. The Hanbat Stadium main entrance is not at all welcoming, with a wide staircase leading to a narrow and fairly dark concourse. There is no glimpse of the field until you have travelled a substantial distance further. This initial glimpse is through a gate to the infield which is watched over by ushers. There is still quite a bit further to go, passing a strange jog in the concourse, pay-lockers and a team shop before you reach the light of the first base side infield concourse. From this point on, Hanbat Stadium is very open and you can see the game most of the time. Don’t let that first impression of the stadium put you off – a game here is an excellent experience. Restrooms here are a little tight, but are clean. As with all stadiums in the KBO, I recommend bringing your own toilet paper as it may well run-out before the end of the game. Return on Investment 5 A general admission ticket to the outfield cheering section can be purchased for well under 10,000 won.Prices for food and drink are no more than they are outside the stadium, so a fantastic day out can be had for well under 20,000 won per person. . Extras 3 The fans at Hanwha are truly a delight and very, very friendly. The staff at the team shop are incredibly helpful and have a rack of clothes specifically to assist people in finding the correct size of t-shirt and jersey. The freshly-made potato chips are really, really good!

Photos by Eric Moreno, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park 2901 Drive of Champions Lubbock, TX 79409 Texas Tech Red Raiders website Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park website Year Opened: 1926 Capacity: 4,368 Welcome to Wreck 'Em Country! Texas Tech University has a long and storied tradition as an athletics program. The football team is undoubtedly what the university has been known for the longest, probably followed by its basketball program. However, the Red Raiders baseball team has achieved its own amount of success – the team has won the Southwest Conference (in 1995) and the Big 12 (in 1998), and made the College World Series in 2014 and 2016. The center of the universe for the Red Raiders is Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. The Red Raiders have called the venerable park home since Calvin Coolidge was in the Oval Office. While the park has naturally undergone several upgrades and renovations since then, the most recent in 2012, the facility still retains a great deal of the charm that distinguishes it from other ballparks in the conference. Food & Beverage 3 While the concessions at Rip Griffin Park lack a signature item or unique vendor, your food and beverage needs will be met by what is offered. There are two main concessions stands beneath the grandstand at Rip Griffin Park; the Red Raider Grill and the Dugout Grill. At both of these you can expect to find your standard food items, such as hot dogs (from Wienerschnitzel), soda (a large souvenir cup is $6), popcorn, chips, candy, soft pretzels, and nachos. At the Dugout Grill you can also purchase combo baskets; the Triple Play features chicken tenders, curly fries, and cheese sticks. Next door to the Red Raider Grill is a separate (cash only) food kiosk that sells fresh, hand-squeezed lemonade, sno cones, fajitas, and brisket. Costs at this kiosk range from $4 to $8 per item; this is not so bad considering that Texas Tech is a major Division I university. Atmosphere 5 On game days, Rip Griffin Park is a sea of red. Many games are a complete sell-out, and tailgaters (yes, tailgaters) often fill the open areas in and around Rip Griffin Park for hours before the first pitch.The venue itself complements the overall atmosphere, with its red brick facade and accents, making the ballpark look like it is from another era. With the crowd, the architecture, and the energy that is dispelled when these elements combine, you feel like you’re at a high-level minor league stadium. Neighborhood 3 Lubbock is a college town dropped square into the middle of the vast emptiness of West Texas – if college towns are your bag, then you’re in luck. While Rip Griffin Park is located on the campus of Texas Tech University, just on the other end of campus, on University Drive, there are ample restaurants and establishments that serve adult beverages. If you’re looking for things to do while you’re in Lubbock, either before or after the game, there are a number of attractions that will pique your interest. The National Ranching Heritage Center is a 19-acre facility that includes dozens of historic ranch and farm buildings. Also in town is the Buddy Holly Center, which honors the life and legacy of this legendary musician, and one of Lubbock’s favorite sons. For families, there is the Science Spectrum & Omni Theater, a massive museum that is loaded with all the stuff that kids of all ages love: dinosaurs, hands-on gears, levers, pulleys, bubble experiments, and more. The city also runs a prairie dog town, which is sure to be a favorite for the kids. Fans 4 Texas Tech fans are rabidly devoted to their team. As mentioned, they turn out in droves for games at Rip Griffin Park; the team consistently ranks among the best attended in Division I. According to the university, the Red Raiders recently ranked 13th among Division I baseball programs in attendance, with an average of 3,665 per home game. They also set an attendance record of 4,898 during a game last season, when they hosted East Carolina University in a Super Regional match-up. Regardless, Tech fans are passionate about their teams – all of them. They cheer when their team is at bat, they cheer when they are on defense, and they razz the umpires when necessary. The fans at Rip Griffin Park are great fans, and you won’t be able to help but get caught up in their energy and enthusiasm. Access 3 Make no mistake about it, Lubbock is a drive from just about everywhere. If you’re flying, Dallas or Albuquerque are your best bets. Driving in, Rip Griffin Park is right off Highway 82, which intersects with I-27. From 82, it’s just a short trip down Drive of Champions to the stadium. Once you get to the venue, there is ample parking in the lots directly across from the ballpark, and there are several walk-up windows for tickets. This is as no fuss of an experience as you are going to find in Division I college sports. Return on Investment 4 During conference play, you can get tickets for as low as $12, and as high as $17 for general admission seating. Earlier in the season and on weekdays, tickets are even less. Depending on the item, the concessions are relatively inexpensive. Couple that with no cost for parking, and this all adds up to an affordable day at the ballpark. Extras 3 Like all great ballgame experiences, there are tons of extras involved in attending a game at Rip Griffin Park. There are in-between inning contests, interactive fan experiences like the Twitter DJ contest (fans tweet out which song they like using the hashtag #TTUDJ), and the roving band of boosters known as the Saddle Tramps. The Saddle Tramps, bedecked in trademark red, ring the giant ceremonial Bangin’ Bertha bell, as well as fire off faux pistols each time the Red Raiders score a run. The Tramps add greatly to the overall atmosphere of the game. Final Thoughts It has to be said that Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park is truly a hidden gem on the landscape of college baseball. The facility itself is absolutely beautiful; the way they blend the old with the new is remarkable – there is something really special about the red brick, and the turf grass playing surface looks really sharp. Lubbock might be a bit out of the way, but if you find yourself on the plains of West Texas, make some time to visit Rip Griffin Park. It is one you should not miss. Follow Eric Moreno’s Stadium Journey on Twitter at @EricMoreno6477 . Visit Eric Moreno’s writer’s portfolio site at ericmoreno.contently.com .

Photos by Kirsten Richards, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.46 Sajik Stadium Sajik-dong, Dongnae-gu Busan, South Korea 607-121 Year Opened: 1985 Capacity: 28,500 The Best of Busan and Baseball The Lotte Giants are one of the founding members of the Korean Professional Baseball League and moved in to Sajik Stadium when it opened in 1985. The Giants have been Champions twice – in 1984 and 1992 and are well-known for having an incredibly strong and vocal support base. Sajik Stadium is the largest baseball stadium in Korea and hosted the baseball part of the Asian Games in 2002. The city of Busan is the second biggest city in South Korea and the third busiest port in the world. It is famous for its popular calm beaches, beautiful seaside and mountain trails, and relaxed, friendly people. Food & Beverage 4 Sajik Stadium has all kinds of concessions, but they are very spread out and it is harder than expected to find the food you want. It is directly across the street from a popular entertainment district. As with all other baseball stadiums, you can bring in anything you like to Sajik Stadium, so you can choose to buy either from these shops, from the vendors that set-up outside the stadium close to game time, from the big Homeplus supermarket near the subway station, or to buy from the concession stands inside the stadium. There is a hot dog stand with hot dogs running $3-$6, the inevitable fried chicken and coffee stalls and concession stands selling Korean snacks, such as octopus, squid and dukbokki (fish cake). Soda and beer are the same price inside the stadium as outside the stadium, with beer running around $2/can. There are no queues on quiet nights at the stadium for the bathrooms or for the concession stands, but an evening with a full house requires substantially faster movement from the traveler. Atmosphere 5 Sajik Stadium has a very attractive swooping line from both the outside and the inside of the stadium. There are gorgeous views out of the stadium and over to tall buildings and the mountains from most places inside the stadium. The decoration above the scoreboard is a replica of the famous Gwangan Bridge. The Lotte Giants symbols, logo and decoration all make it clear that this team is from Busan. Fans are loud, very enthusiastic and Sajik has a couple of traditions which are extremely enjoyable to participate. One is making newspaper pom-poms, but far easier and hilarity-inducing is the wearing of orange shopping bags on one’s head between the 7th and 8th inning. The stadium itself is definitely showing its age in the state of the brown tile used throughout the concourse, the narrowness of the concourse itself and every bit of the stadium being blocked off by ushers from every other bit of the stadium. A wander through the stadium taking photos might require showing your ticket to several different ushers, most of whom will believe that you are lost and will helpfully direct you back to your section and seat. Most of the seating, including some of the pricier areas of the stadium are open to the elements. While the third base side gets the sun during the afternoon, by the time an evening game starts, the entire stadium is in welcome shade. The loudest part of the crowd is located directly above the cheerleading platform on the first base side. It’s a great place to quickly pick up the chants and cheers and really enjoy being part of the crowd. If you’d like a little more room, table-seating starts a little closer to the infield, but rapidly increases in price. Seating in the upper deck area behind home plate provides a great view of both the field and the surrounding countryside for a much cheaper price. The Lotte Giants provide plenty of entertainment between innings, with lots of Kiss Cam, including some gorgeous ‘kiss your kids’ shots. The cheerleaders perform some very interesting internationally inspired routines to a rousing response from the fans. Neighborhood 5 Sajik Stadium is part of a sports complex, but it is not cut-off from its surroundings at all. There is a restaurant/bar/café area directly across from the main entrance to the baseball stadium and this area is well served by buses. On the other side of the stadium, between the subway exit and the stadium is a large Homeplus. Busan is a very popular tourist destination with plenty to do and see. It’s easy to spend a week or so here and find something interesting and different to do every day. Haeundae Beach is Korea’s longest, most famous and most popular beach. It’s about a 40 minute bus ride from the stadium, or just under an hour on the subway. The beach is very busy both day and night, with rentable umbrellas and a non-stop festive atmosphere once the day cools down a little and people stop swimming. Bands, video DJs and buskers set-up all along the boardwalk and play until late into the evening on weeknights and weekends. There are pop-up bars and a seafood market where you can pick your dinner out of a tank and have it prepared on the spot. Shinsegae Centum City is also in Haeundae-gu and only a couple of stops away on the subway. It’s the largest department store in the world and home to SpaLand, where you can go for some serious relaxation time. Gwangalli Beach is another popular spot both day and night, with a lovely beach and the headlands perfectly frame the Gwangan/Diamond Bridge. Seeing the bridge lit up at night is one of the must-see sights of Busan and locals recommend seeing it from the mountains, rather than from the beach. The city meanders around mountains and along the coast, so there are easily accessible mountain hikes from nearly all parts of the city. The 1,300 year-old Beomgeosa Temple on Geumjeong mountain is accessible by public transport. There is also a wide variety of museums and art galleries throughout Busan as well. There are plenty of festivals held in Busan, the biggest of which is probably the Busan International Film Festival, but it’s always worth checking the Busan tourist information site for events being held in and around Busan. Busan is yet another very safe Korean city and there are no issues with walking or taking public transport alone at night. Fans 5 Lotte Giants fans are regarded as the most passionate in the league and they certainly cheer very hard for the team no matter what occurs during the game. Korea is fairly small and fans travel to baseball games, so there is always a strong representation of supporters of the visiting team at the ground. Lotte games sell out quickly. On a weeknight, you will likely be able to buy a ticket on the day, but this is less likely on the weekend. Tickets for the outfield can be purchased the day before the game from Busan Bank. Otherwise you will likely need the help of a Korean friend to acquire tickets from the website, as using the website requires the ability to speak Korean, a Korean credit card and a Korean phone registered in your name. If you are buying tickets on-site on the day, you must head up the ramp to the left of the team shop. There is nowhere to buy tickets at ground level. If you have been lucky enough to have made a reservation, you can print your tickets out at the machines on the ground level. Lotte supporters take the first base side and this is where the cheering platform is located. At this stadium, as at many others, seats just above the cheering platform are a great way to get involved and learn the team’s chants and songs very quickly. All parts of the stadium will join in the singing though, so you won’t miss out wherever you sit. This is another field where fans are very welcoming to strangers and your nearby neighbours in the crowd may surprise you with gifts of food and will definitely assist you to participate in some of the crowd rituals, such as tying a shopping bag on your head during the break between the 7th and the 8th innings. Access 4 Sajik Stadium is very easy to get to. The nearest airport is Gimhae International, which largely services flights to and from other parts of Asia. The airport is a stop on the green line of the Busan subway, as is the KTX train station and main express bus terminal. There are a number of other bus terminals in Busan, but all of them are connected to the subway, so it is easy to find your way around the city. Bus stops in Busan are also clearly marked and have a lot of information about the buses that stop at each stop, making it very easy to get around. Google Maps public transport is accurate for Busan and is probably the easiest way to plan your trip from your accommodation to and from the game. If choosing to travel via subway, you can use either Sports Complex or Sajik stations on the brown line – they are about the same distance from the stadium. If you want to go via Homeplus to buy snacks first, then Sports Complex is the station for you. Approximate travel times via subway to the stadium are as follows: Gimhae airport – 1 hour Haeundae beach – 50 minutes Downtown Busan – 30 minutes Busan KTX station – 1 hour 15 minutes Catching the bus is very easy and may be faster from some areas of Busan depending on the time of day and likely traffic conditions. There is free parking available at the sports complex. For the capacity of the stadium, the concourses are quite narrow and there are multiple choke-points. There are plenty of bathrooms, but it’s worth having a few napkins with you, as toilet paper does run out. Sajik Stadium also has the best viewing points for audience members in wheelchairs, with a large area on the infield first base sideline dedicated for wheelchairs. Return on Investment 5 A Lotte Giants game presents an excellent return on investment. Outfield tickets are about 6,000 won (about $6 USD) on the weekend and tickets are half-priced on weeknights, making table-seats and infield seats very affordable. The views from all parts of the stadium are lovely, the crowd is loud and good-humored and food and drinks are cheap and plentiful, should you choose to buy inside the stadium. Busan is also a lovely place to visit and it is well worth planning some non-baseball days and evenings to explore the city. . Extras 3 The Lotte Giants museum (free-entry) is worth a visit and includes some fascinating information about some of the Giants history. There are also interactive games and photo opportunities at the end of the museum. The path out of the museum puts you in the Giants merchandise shop, which contains a wide variety of merchandise options at all price levels. The fan traditions are particularly novel and enjoyable to participate in. The stadium also contains a nursing room and a playground.

Photos by Justin Sutton, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.43 Robert Braddy Field John R Lynch St & Poindexter Ave Jackson, MS 39217 Jackson State Tigers website Robert Braddy Field website Year Opened: 2006 Capacity: 800 The Background on Braddy Home to one of the hotter programs in SWAC baseball, Robert Braddy Field offers baseball fans a cheap ticket to catch college baseball in central Mississippi. While the ballpark, named after the former Jackson State athletic director, does not have the thrills that nearby Trustmark Park or the stadiums of the big three in Mississippi have, fans going to Jackson State can still have a quality experience for a fair price when taking in Tiger baseball in the 800 person capacity complex built in 2006. Food & Beverage 2 With signs in the area that concessions and restrooms are available in other places, Jackson State baseball might offer more than what appears in their match-up against Florida A&M. What is there for that game is mainly candy and sodas for sale, and not much else. With the lack of fans in the stands, having a full menu would make little sense in regards to the bottom line of the budget. With outside food and beverages not being allowed in the ballpark (or at least that is what the sign says), fans do not have many options at the game. However, many fans do tailgate behind the outfield wall. Atmosphere 3 The seats at Robert Braddy Field provide a great view of the game, especially those behind home plate, which have many fellow student athletes in attendance. In addition, many parents make it out to the games, so there is an interested crowd. The only downside to the seats is that they are all bleacher seats. While chair backs would be nice, the seats have good sight lines, and fans can bring in some of their own chairs to watch the game, as well. For kids at the game, they can run down foul balls and get close to the bullpens, and they do have plenty of room to run around during the game. However, if the younger fans are looking for lots of entertainment between innings, they are out of luck. Neighborhood 2 There is not much of a way to sugarcoat this. Jackson State is not located in the greatest part of Jackson. However, with the talks of a new domed stadium in the works and the continued work to revitalize the downtown area of the city, this circumstance may change. There is one restaurant within walking distance of the ballpark, The Penguin. A restaurant that was quite popular a half-century ago has worked to make a return to the Jackson night scene. With a kitchen open until 10 pm and a bar open much later, fans can dine before or after the game. The only drawback might be the price, as much of the menu comes in over $15 per entree, but it looks as though some patrons are more than fine with the price given the food and atmosphere. Editor’s Note: It appears Penguins has closed since this review was written. When Stadium Journey makes a revisit, we’ll update this section with other choices. Fans 2 The fans in attendance at the game did their best to enhance the atmosphere, but for the most part, there were many empty spots in the bleachers on a great evening to watch baseball. With the Tigers having recently clinched a share of the SWAC Eastern division crown and having the most wins in conference play when I visited, the lack of fans came as a bit of a surprise. Access 3 Getting to Robert Braddy Field is not much of a challenge for fans traveling to the game. The stadium is about five minutes off of Interstate 20 on the University exit. Parking is located within a two-to-five minute walk of the baseball field. If fans want to tailgate behind the outfield wall, they can park along John R. Lynch Street, and the raised walls beyond the outfield fence protect their cars. The big knock on getting to the stadium is that there are not many signs to help someone unacquainted to Jackson State find their way around. Also, fans have to leave the complex to use the restroom, walking a few minutes to the tennis complex. Return on Investment 5 With tickets only priced at five dollars a person, no one can complain about the cost of attending a game.The Tigers have produced many players drafted in the MLB draft, some of whom were first-rounders.The fellow foes of the Tigers in SWAC play also bring quality local talent and MLB talent to Jackson State. . Extras 2 Robert Braddy Field has quality sight lines, and beyond right field, the skyline of downtown Jackson makes for a great view. The field, which is maintained by the coaching staff, looks great, as does most of the campus, which has been revitalized over the past few years.

Photos by Michael Rusignuolo, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 XLLease Park Dorrestein Dorresteinsesteeg 2, 3817 GC Amersfoort, Netherlands BSC Quick website XLLease Park Dorrestein website Year Opened: 1961 Capacity: 1,000 Quick Success Organized baseball in the central Netherlands’ city of Amersfoort started in 1961 as an offshoot of the Quick football (soccer) club. Four baseball fields were cut out of an area just to the north of the main football pitch at Sportpark Dorrestein, and in just a decade, the team had worked its way up to the top level of Dutch baseball, Honkbal Hoofdklasse. Due to the whims of a football-like relegation and elevation system, the Quick were in and out of the top-level of competition several times, but they have been back in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse since 2014. Just before their last call-up, they had to give a baseball field back to their parent football club, but were compensated in modernizations to the main baseball field, including lighting for night games and other improvements, sponsored by the parent sporting club and an agreement with a Dutch car rental service for the newly renamed XLLease Park. XLLease Park is a stand-out in Honkbal Hoofdklasse, a small, recently updated facility with better than average food options in an active area with good access all-around. [All prices are in Euros. At the time of writing, one Euro is worth about $1.15.] Food & Beverage 4 In nearly the entire Dutch league, the only food and drink concessions in the ballpark are in the team’s clubhouse, where a bar and grill and perhaps a small separate food kiosk serve up the goods. The Quick not only have that, but also a separate food grill concession that sets it apart. There’s a normal selection of Dutch sports food on offer in the clubhouse, including hot dogs, frites, toasti sandwiches, and Dutch meatballs (all €2.50 and under). There is also a stand-alone concession behind home plate on the third base side for the Quick Big Burger, a large fresh-grilled burger with all the trimmings, €4 without cheese and €4.50 with. The Quick have some of the widest alcohol choices in the league. Various iterations of Heineken and Amstel (€2.50 and under, pitchers for €11) are available, along with wine (€3.50) and various hard liquors (€2.50 small/€3.50 large). Coca-Cola is the non-alcoholic drink family of choice. You’re in The Netherlands. Grab a Heineken. Or a pitcher if you’re really thirsty. Since it is one of the only specialty concessions in Dutch baseball (not to mention a pretty tasty burger), snatch up a Quick Big Cheeseburger to chow down on while you watch the game. Atmosphere 4 As with many ballparks in Honkbal Hoofdklasse, XLLease Park is located in a suburban “sportpark” where there are fields for many sports. The Dorrestein park is right next to a farm, and a short walk can have you looking at cows and livestock before or after the game. XLLease Park is one of the most recently updated and nicer parks in the league. While most of the ballparks are about Rookie-level in the US minors, this certainly reaches A-ball levels. The main entrance is right by the small parking lot, leading out to the plaza behind the field. In a unique look, several stacked shipping crates form the backdrop to home plate, with the top levels opened up for the press box and a VIP area. Four rows of wooden bleachers run behind home plate from about halfway to first to halfway to third base. A second, separate bleacher is located by third base and the visiting dugout. The simple electric scoreboard sits in right-center field, and the outfield wall topped with advertisements looks out over a green treeline for its length. The clubhouse is located beyond third base and solidly in a foul ball zone, so the entire clubhouse and deck outside are covered in netting to prevent injuries. On the patio are the small team store, selling general baseball merchandise, and picnic tables with ashtrays to accommodate the many active smokers who still populate The Netherlands. As is the case in most Honkbal Hoofdklasse games, there are no mascots or between-innings entertainment that permeate all levels of US baseball. You get in-stadium PA announcements, batter walk-up music, and the Seventh Inning Stretch, period. Since this is a step up from club ball, however, there are some nice vestiges of sportsmanship. Each batter coming to the plate for the first time usually shakes the hand of the umpire and the opposing catcher. Grab a seat wherever suits you. There is some shade in the seats behind home plate on the first base side, so if you’re looking to escape the summer sun, that is your best bet. Neighborhood 4 The central Dutch city of Amersfoort, as the name implies, is a former medieval fortified city. Unlike many Honkbal Hoofdklasse ballparks, XLLease Park is quite close to the city center, with a wealth of activities for history and art lovers, as well as many tourist amenities. There are a few restaurants close to the park, with dozens more in the city center, especially in the northwest district. Bindicafe vega(n), Dutch Tollius, and Sally’s Indonesian Kitchen are to the west of the park, and just down the street is Cafetaria Desmond. The short drive to downtown yields many more choices. Art lovers are in for a treat near the Quick. Right by the park is the National Gallery The Netherlands, and nearby are the SMAAK Foundation, Musiom, and The Mondriaan House. History buffs will have plenty to do in the old medieval fort city, especially at the Museum Flehite, Muurhuizen, and the Koopelport City Gate. And with a little bit of a drive, kids will love the Amersfoort Zoo. Most of the hotels are at the city center under ten minutes away, but there are a couple closer to the park. Van der Valk Hotel Leusden is just to the northeast, and the Best Western Plus and Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant are to the west. Northwest in the center of town are over a dozen more hotels to pick from. Fans 3 Baseball (or honkbal, as it is known locally) is very much a fringe sport in The Netherlands, and for all of Europe for that matter. The Dutch Honkbal Hoofdklasse is one of the only semipro/professional leagues on the continent, sharing the distinction with the Italian Baseball League. The Quick returned to top-level Honkbal Hoofdklasse five years ago and seem to draw the average Dutch baseball crowds (between 100-250 people per game). After games and practices at the surrounding fields end, the players and spectators come over to watch the top-level men play their games. Another out-of-the-ordinary status quo is that there are usually pet dogs at every game. It is a welcome change for dog lovers, less so if you don’t like them. Local fans fill the stand behind home plate, and the visiting fans (of which there are a healthy number given the ease of access to the park) tend to congregate on the benches down the third baseline. Access 5 XLLease Park is quick and convenient to get to from most of the main cities in the country, and it is a snap to get around once you arrive. The park is a short bus ride from Amersfoort Centraal Station. Syntus Stadsbus 17 will get you to stop Haydnstraat, Amersfoort (€1.54) in about ten minutes. Car ride, cab, or ride share from the city center is just about 6 minutes. Utretcht to Amersfoort is about 15 minutes by train, Amsterdam is about 45 minutes away by train, and Rotterdam an hour. It is just under an hour’s drive from Rotterdam, a half-hour from Amsterdam, and 20 minutes from Utrecht. There is a small parking lot by the ballpark, and there is plenty of free bicycle parking. Cabs and ride shares can drop you off right at the park entrance. You can enter the park through one of two gates, and there is no problem getting in, since there is no ticket line. Once inside, the park is wide walkways with few choke points, making it quite easy to get around. Return on Investment 4 There’s no charge to get into the park, so you can’t really argue with that. All the alcoholic drinks (with the exception of pitchers) are €3.50 and under. All the food is €2.50 and under, except for the Quick Big Burger (at €4.50). You just can’t beat these prices. . Extras 3 As with all the Dutch stadiums, extras are at a minimum. The clubhouse has a selection of baseball memorabilia, as well as club trophies and awards. There are also a selection of bar games (foosball, darts) not found in most other clubhouses in the league. A mural on the side of one of the buildings has the team’s two retired numbers (11 and 33), and the park name is in a mural on the back of one of the dugouts. As Dutch clubhouse personnel are almost all volunteers, they are polite and helpful to a person and are always glad to talk to and assist visitors. Final Thoughts While you will never confuse it with an MLB facility, XLLease Park is a gem in Honkbal Hoofdklasse, a great value that checks all the boxes for an enjoyable baseball experience with plenty of amenities and things to do in the area after the game.

Photos by Michael Davis, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14 L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W Imhoff Norman, OK 73072 Oklahoma Sooners website L. Dale Mitchell Park website Year Opened: 1982 Capacity: 3,180 There's Only One Oklahoma Baseball L. Dale Mitchell Park is located on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. The park has been home to the University of Oklahoma baseball program for over 25 years, having opened on February 27, 1982 with a seating capacity of 3,180. The ballpark was named in honor of former Oklahoma letterman Dale Mitchell, who is the Sooners’ career and single-season batting title holder. The playing surface is field turf and a pitcher’s park, with spacious outfield dimensions of 335 feet down both lines and 411 feet to straight away center. The largest crowd ever at L. Dale Mitchell Park was 4,544 on May 4,1995 against the arch-rival Texas Longhorns. The Oklahoma baseball program has won 23 conference titles and has 36 NCAA Tournament appearances, with L. Dale Mitchell Park hosting the NCAA Regionals in 2006 and 2009. The Sooners have hosted a regional in Oklahoma City on three occasions, and last hosted one in 2004 at Bricktown Ballpark. The program has appeared in 10 College World Series, and won National Championships in 1951 and 1994. Food & Beverage 3 L. Dale Mitchell Park’s concessions are about as basic as you can get for a college venue. There are two permanent concessions stands on the main concourse, one on each baseline called “Ballpark Favorites.” These stands serve exactly what their namesake suggests – stadium favorites such as hot dogs, chili cheese dogs, nachos, popcorn, and pretzels; these items range from $4.50 to $7. The Sooner nachos and chicken tender basket are the highest priced items on the food menu, costing $9 – the Sooner nachos include chili, cheese, and sour cream. There is also a cash only mobile stand, located on the first base side, that offers hamburgers, cheeseburgers, funnel cake, corn dogs, French fries, frozen lemonade, and shaved ice. The ballpark serves Coca-Cola products, including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Coke, Sprite, and water. The price for soda is $6 for the souvenir cup, $4.25 for the regular size, and $5 for a 20-oz. bottle. Bottled water costs $4.50 for the same 20-oz. bottle. Atmosphere 3 The typical college baseball atmosphere is present at L.Dale Mitchell Park, with most of the games held on weekends, affording the opportunity for families and children to spend some quality time at the ballpark. The press box and suites are located behind home plate, and free programs are given out upon entry into the park. There are baseball posters and schedules on the main concourse behind home plate, along with the lineup card for both teams. The home team dugout is located on the third base side of the field. During the game, there are contests between innings, plenty of music, including the singing of “Oklahoma” in the top of the fifth, and the traditional seventh inning stretch song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” During select games, members of the Oklahoma Pom Squad are present and participate in activities. Neighborhood 3 The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in the city of Norman, Oklahoma. The city of Norman is 20 miles south of Oklahoma City, and has a population of 120,284, listing Norman as the 3rd largest city in the state behind Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The OU campus has a student population close to 31,000. L. Dale Mitchell Park is located on the south side of campus between the Lloyd Noble Center and Traditions Square Apartments. The neighborhood around the ballpark is more residential, with the fast food chain Sonic being the closest restaurant, but there is also a Rudy’s BBQ down the road. The location is secluded; to get to anything with larger crowds you need to go to the other side of campus, to the popular Campus Corner area. The Campus Corner area is on the opposite side of campus from the ballpark, to the north off W. Boyd Street. This area has numerous restaurants, including Oklahoma’s well-known Hideaway Pizza. Volare is another pizza choice that fans seem to enjoy, and The Porch, The Library Bar and Grill, O’Connell’s Irish Pub & Grill, and Seven47 are great drinking holes with food. In addition, Pepe Delgados is a great choice for fans that are looking for Tex-Mex. The Mont is also a good recommendation, located just off E Boyd Street on Classen Blvd; here you can enjoy a brunch on their patio. Also, just north of the Campus Corner area is Main Street in downtown Norman, where I would suggest The Garage for people looking for a great lunch burger. The Oklahoma City area has so much to offer to visitors that a lot of people are surprised when they visit. Bricktown is a great spot for the traveling baseball fan; this neighborhood is home to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, home of the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Pacific Coast League team for the LA Dodgers). Oklahoma City will probably be on most tourist lists, but Norman, Oklahoma has a few tourist attractions of its own. The first stop is The University of Oklahoma campus – the campus, besides being a beautiful campus to walk around during baseball season, is home to a couple of nice museums, including the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. These two museums will surely make it a wonderful educational trip. However, a visit to the University of Oklahoma wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the school’s football program. Heisman Park is located outside Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, and is a great photo op for fans. In terms of lodging, the Riverwind Casino is about 4.5 miles from L. Dale Mitchell Park, and might be the closest lodging. However, there are plenty of places to stay near campus, including Hampton Inn-Norman and Fairfield Inn & Suites, which are both just down Ed Noble Parkway from W. Main Street near Interstate 35. Fans 3 The Sooner faithful are a strong fan base, so no matter what sporting event you are attending the fans are supportive. Fans of all ages show up with their Crimson and Cream, from young girls in their OU cheerleading outfits to adults decked out in their OU novelties from head to toe. The fans cheer and jeer at the appropriate times during games, participate in the singing of the National Anthem, “Oklahoma,” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,“ and have a good time overall. Access 4 Access to L. Dale Mitchell Park is relatively easy. This is partly due to the ballpark being located on the southernmost part of campus, away from the main artery streets of Norman. It is a short drive from Interstate-35 to the campus, and there are plenty of ways to get to the ballpark. The easiest route to L. Dale Mitchell Park is to take exit 108A/B from Interstate 35 onto Route 9, then take a left onto W. Imhoff Road at the third traffic light. From here, L. Dale Mitchell Park will be on your left, across from the Lloyd Noble Center (OU’s basketball arena); there is free parking during baseball games in the Lloyd Noble Center parking lot. The main entrance at L. Dale Mitchell Park has 2 entry gates – one behind home plate and one next to the ticket office. The gates and ticket office open 1.5 hours prior to the first pitch. If ADA seating is needed, please call the OU ticket office at (800) 456-4668. L. Dale Mitchell Park’s main concourse is above the seating levels; the venue has two levels of seating with a walking concourse between the levels. The lower level seating features chair backs, while the upper level is equipped with benches. The biggest feature of the ballpark’s infrastructure is that the park is built into a grass berm. The seating is built around the infield, however, the rest of the grass berm seen beyond the seating area is very well utilized, as fans can bring blankets or chairs and sit along the top of the berm. L. Dale Mitchell Park is easy to navigate because the walkway and seating rows are spacious enough to move around. Due to the ballpark having been built into a grass hill, the slope is the only potential negative when moving around the park, and having to climb stairs to get to the main concourse can be a challenge for people with physical limitations. Return on Investment 3 The University of Oklahoma’s baseball ticket prices compare well with their Big 12 counterparts – ticket prices for reserve box seats are $15, while adult general admission costs $10. There is also a $2 discount for youth (5-18) and senior citizens, while children under 5 are admitted free of charge. Parking is free across the street at the Lloyd Noble Center, and the concessions aren’t professional sports inflated prices, so you can expect reasonable affordability for the food and drinks. The overall return on investment is above average for a day at L.Dale Mitchell Park. . Extras 3 Free parking, along with the ability to watch the game for free from beyond the outfield fence offers an old-time nostalgia like the knothole gang generation. Also, the banners of past players in the concourse connecting the present with the past is a nice mainstay, keeping OU tradition alive while the school continues to usher in new generations of players and fans. In addition, there is a friendly atmosphere here, spending the day at a ballpark watching a game without all the major league amenities. Final Thoughts L. Dale Mitchell Park is a tremendous place to spend an afternoon watching competitive college baseball. The Sooner game day staff does a wonderful job providing a safe yet fun-filled day for Sooner fans at the ballpark. If you are in the Norman area, There’s Only One Oklahoma Baseball, so a quick stop to watch Sooners baseball is well worth your time.

Photos by Chris Green, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 Melching Field at Conrad Park 555 South Woodland Blvd DeLand, FL 32724 Stetson Hatters website Melching Field at Conrad Park website Year Opened: 1999 Capacity: 2,500 Stetson Baseball Comfort Taking in a baseball game at Stetson’s Conrad Park at Melching Field is both comfortable and enjoyable, mixing the conveniences of a college baseball field with the feeling of a minor-league field.The stadium is nestled in a small-town Florida feeling that everyone should experience at some point.Conrad Park at Melching Field truly offers the best of central Florida around the stadium, and offers some great family fun at the ballpark. Food & Beverage 3 The stadium offers two concessions stands, but both can handle the crowd of even a sellout game pretty well. The offerings are pretty standard for baseball fare, ranging from hot dogs ($3) and Cracker Jack ($2) to burgers ($4/$5) and peanuts ($3). Prices don’t rise higher than $5 for anything, with drinks ranging from $2 to $4 for small to large. Perhaps the neatest thing on the menu is a Key Lime Pie on a stick for $4, something you don’t get at stadiums elsewhere. Atmosphere 4 The feeling at Conrad Park at Melching Field is unique, as the facility is not in the middle of campus, yet still holds on to the college atmosphere one expects to feel in NCAA baseball stadiums. While the stadium may not look like the ultra-modern shining temples of newer stadiums, it nonetheless holds up for having opened in 1999.The outside is well-manicured, with large trees along the street and near the parking lot.The inside features comfortable individual seats behind home plate, while the remaining seats are bleachers with backs to them.The stadium is also decked out from top to bottom in Stetson colors, logos, and memorabilia. Neighborhood 5 Conrad Park at Melching Field is located just blocks from the heart of downtown DeLand, Florida. DeLand is known for being one of the quintessential small towns in Central Florida, featuring the quietness one would expect from such an atmosphere. In addition, the town is just a short drive up I-4 from Daytona Beach, only an hour from Orlando, and is surrounded by several state parks and great nature areas. For those wanting to travel and see the sights, Blue Springs State Park is home to manatees upon manatees in the winter months. In addition, the NASCAR Racing Experience is not far away, located just north on I-4 in Daytona Beach. For hotels, Comfort Inn DeLand and Hampton Inn & Suites DeLand are the closest spots. For food, Shokudo 413 is a popular sushi stop just blocks away from Conrad Park at Melching Field. Doug & Lil’s Potato Patch is also a popular breakfast and brunch place near the stadium. Fans 3 Fans flock to Conrad Park at Melching Field, but the crowds aren’t exactly rowdy. That said, they do know their Hatters players, and are usually fans of the team alongside family members who went to the university. While sellouts aren’t frequent, the facility is small, meaning crowds tend to fill in the seating pretty well. However, there isn’t the massive eruption of noise with home runs that you get at bigger D1 programs. Nonetheless, the fans remain family-friendly and enjoyable overall. Access 3 Getting to Conrad Park at Melching Field involves driving on some small-town roads.Either exit 116 or 118 on I-4 will take you to DeLand. Once there, the stadium is off of US-17 and Euclid Ave. Parking is plentiful on site and across the street, making finding a spot easy. Getting around the stadium is also easy, thanks to plenty of signage around to help you figure out where your seats are. Return on Investment 4 Tickets to Stetson baseball games at Conrad Park at Melching Field are pretty affordable, meaning taking the family to watch some baseball is a lot more affordable than driving to see a professional MLB stadium in Tampa or Miami. With the addition of low concessions prices, you can take the family and friends to baseball without depleting your entire banking account. . Extras 3 The downstairs area inside Conrad Park at Melching Field features two large trophy cases that showcase photos and trophies from Stetson’s baseball championships and tournament appearances. The team also celebrates their MLB stars who graduated, including 2-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. The staff also has a giveaways table set up at games, with t-shirts and posters usually the most popular items being given away to fans in attendance. Final Thoughts Conrad Park at Melching Field is located in a beautiful corner of Florida, meaning you can visit and enjoy the area around the stadium while taking in the game. The stadium’s central location in Florida means you’re also not far from most major cities in the state. Low prices will greet fans, making the game one you can go to without losing your life savings. The family-friendly atmosphere also means you get to enjoy the game in peace and comfort.

Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.29 Bolding Stadium 700 Wynne Dr Farmville, VA 23901 Longwood Lancers website Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium website Year Opened: 1994 Capacity: 500 Small Town Baseball in Virginia Located on the campus of Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, Charles “Buddy” Bolding Field has been home to the Lancers’ baseball team since 1994. The stadium was originally known as Lancer Stadium but was renamed after longtime head coach Buddy Bolding in 2009. Bolding continued to coach the Lancers until 2013, making him one of the few coaches to coach in a stadium named after him. ' Food & Beverage 0 No food or drink is available for sale at Buddy Bolding Field. However, fans are free to bring their own and many bring drinks from the on-campus Starbucks or food from various fast-food places located nearby. We recommend doing so or eating before the game. If you are desperately thirsty, there are a couple of water fountains located by the restrooms but it is better to bring your own bottled water. Note that alcohol is not permitted in the stadium. Atmosphere 2 Buddy Bolding Stadium has a basic layout of a few sets of bleachers separated from the field by netting with a brick façade serving as a backstop behind home plate. None of the bleachers have backs, but if you are in the top row, you can lean against the back fence or the press box depending on where you are. Be sure to get there early if you want these seats – they are the first to get taken. All seats offer a great view of the action as the stadium only seats 500 fans. There is a scoreboard in right-center field which shows a linescore, and theoretically can show video or at least graphics, but this functionality was not working for most of our visit. There is not much to keep fans engaged here other than the usual walkup music. The sound system is crisp and clear and the public address announcer does the standard announcements, advertisements, etc. but not much else. For a baseball purist, this will be fine, but fans looking for something comparable to a minor league baseball game or a Lancers basketball game will be disappointed. Neighborhood 3 Farmville is a quaint, small town, and while it’s in the middle of nowhere, there is still plenty to do here. Although there are typical chain places, your best bet is to check out the local color at places such as Walker’s Diner or Riverside Café, both of which are very close to the stadium. In fact, everything in Farmville is very close to the stadium, because it’s a very small town. Just head off campus and turn onto Main Street and just about everything will be right there. Fans 4 Although Buddy Bolding Stadium only seats about 500 fans, the place is regularly near capacity with Lancers fans. They are knowledgeable about the players, the team, and the history of this program. You will see Lancers fans from across the community come out to support their team game in and game out from longtime fans who remember the Division II days to young kids taking in their first ballgame. The fans can get loud despite their small size, particularly after big Lancers plays. Access 2 There are a few roads into Farmville, but regardless of how you get into town, you are going to have to drive quite a bit. Most likely you will end up taking either State Route 45 or U.S. Route 460, but if you’re coming from any sort of populated area, Farmville probably isn’t close to you. Lynchburg is the closest remotely large city, and it’s a full hour away. Richmond is about an hour and 15 minutes, while Washington, D.C. is about three hours. Once you’re on campus, there are several lots available near the stadium free of charge, although they have been reduced in size in recent years due to the construction of the new tennis courts. Additionally, these lots are used by commuter students on weekdays so you may encounter more crowds if coming for a weekday afternoon game even though the attendance at the game itself will generally be less. There are lots further away if you have to use them as well. There are restrooms on site which are small, but given the small crowds at least in absolute numbers, shouldn’t be much of an issue. Return on Investment 4 Admission to Lancers games is free, as is parking. You won’t pay anything for concessions because there aren’t any. However, given the rather barebones experience, there isn’t enough here to earn the top score. . Extras 1 Look for the banners down the right field line honoring Lancers greats of years past. Final Thoughts Longwood baseball has a loyal fan base despite a relatively short time in Division I. Unfortunately, the stadium they have does not befit this fan base. It is a rather barebones stadium with little going on. The fans are the main reason the experience here is as great as it is, but if the team itself put in more effort to improve the experience like they do for basketball, it would be even greater.

Photos by Brian Wilmer, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.86 George S. Erath Field at Coy O. Williams Baseball Stadium 1013 N College Dr High Point, NC 27262 High Point Panthers website George S. Erath Field at Coy O. Williard Baseball Stadium website Year Opened: 2007 Capacity: 550 Choose To Be Extraordinary North Carolina is a state loaded with collegiate baseball history. Though no Tar Heel State team has raised the trophy in Omaha since Wake Forest accomplished the feat in 1955, North Carolina has played for two titles. NC State and Duke have also enjoyed success on the diamond, and many other schools across the state have participated in the NCAA regionals in recent years. High Point University has spent fewer than two decades at the Division I level, but has already placed a player in Major League Baseball (reliever Cody Allen) and hosted the Big South Conference baseball tournament. The Panthers’ home, Williard Baseball Stadium, is part of a vibrant athletic complex that continues to enjoy significant growth. If you want to catch a North Carolina program on the rise in a comfortable setting, High Point may just be your place. Food & Beverage 3 One should not expect a large amount of offerings at a High Point game. There are, however, enough choices to enjoy a small meal or in-game snack from the lone concession stand behind home plate. The school offers four hot items as part of the menu. Domino’s pizza slices ($2), hot dogs ($2), nachos and cheese ($2.75) and warm pretzels ($2.75) serve as the “entrees.” For those seeking a snack, candy and bagged chips are available for $1.50 per item. Coca-Cola serves as the Panthers’ bottler, with bottled sodas, Powerade and water available for $2. If you attend a weekday game, you might be able to enjoy an even more inexpensive night out. The school sells hot dogs for $1 apiece during in-week games. Atmosphere 3 Williard Stadium is just steps from the university’s expanding track and field sports facility, and the Millis Center — along with numerous additional campus buildings — is visible beyond the outfield fence. The view reinforces the integration of the facility into the fabric of the campus. There are also a few interestingly-hued houses (green, red, blue, et al) visible beyond the outfield wall. One of the more interesting atmospheric touches in the ballpark is also a considerable drawback. There is a bit of a “wide-open” feel in the seating bowl, as there is no overhanging structure. While this allows views of most of the action on the field from almost anywhere inside the confines of the park, this also means that there are no shaded seating areas. Therefore, day games make sunscreen a requirement. If you are visiting for an evening game and sitting on the third base (visiting) side, consider a good pair of sunglasses and a hat to block out the setting sun. The sun will remain in your eyes for at least the first half of most evening contests. All of the seats in the seating bowl are fixed, eliminating the highly uncomfortable spring option of bleachers. There is a reasonable amount of leg room for each seat, though the considerable amount of distance between the plate and backstop separates the seats from the field a bit. A standard nine-inning scoreboard can be found beyond the wall in right-center field. The board contains the normal options one would expect to see when attending a game, along with a digital clock and LED board. The board is not used for video options, but does display statistical information about the current batter and the first three batters due up in the next inning. Advertisements are also occasionally shown on the board, with each shutout inning by the homestanding Panthers sponsored — for whatever reason — by a local real estate agent. Neighborhood 2 Williard Stadium is located in a largely residential neighborhood, near the intersection of Lexington and College. There are just a couple of options — along with a Food Lion grocery store — within a reasonable distance of the park. A small group of fans tailgate in a nearby parking lot before the game, so if you feel outgoing and adventurous, it may be worth trying to introduce yourself and joining the tailgate. Many dining options can be found along North Main Street and Eastchester Drive (North Carolina Highway 68), though these options are well outside walking distance from the campus. Gianno’s, the official caterer of High Point athletics, is located on Eastchester Drive. Fans 2 A fairly sizeable crowd can be found in the seats at most Panther games. The night I attended featured a crowd of 522 (capacity is 550), with numerous others gathered outside of the gates to watch. The number of fans in attendance is comparable with a number of Big South schools. The true concern comes when analyzing the crowd itself. Attending games at High Point seems to be more of a social affair, with fans appearing more interested in hanging out with friends and catching up on the latest social news, versus making their support of the home team heard. The atmosphere can get a bit quiet at times, with the ability to hear the players on the field louder than the fans nearby in the stands. The crowd woke up a bit toward the end of the game I attended, though one might have expected more of a response throughout what ended up being a one-run game. Access 3 For fans looking to access High Point by air, the Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI) is located about 20 minutes north of the university in Greensboro. This is easy enough. However, the numerous interstate highways in the Triad tend not to visit the High Point campus. Interstate 74 (co-signed with US Highway 311) is the nearest interstate, and is some ten minutes from the campus. North Carolina Highway 68 (Eastchester Drive) eventually connects the campus to the airport, though there are a number of stoplights along the route. Upon your arrival to campus, parking is a bit of a challenge. There is a small lot behind the track, though it quickly fills. Therefore, it is probably best to park along the street on West College Drive (behind the track) or East Farris Avenue (between the stadium and the main campus guard house). Though this parking is free, it is not among the most convenient possible options. Either option will leave you with about a five-minute walk. There is a tiny concourse inside the ballpark, and the concession stand and restrooms are located on the concourse. The restrooms are clean and well-kept, satisfying the needs of any crowd that may attend a game at Williard Stadium. Return on Investment 4 In a world where it seems as though there is more demand for the entertainment dollar than ever, High Point offers a tremendous entertainment value for fans looking to enjoy a night out. The Big South is one of the better “non-power” baseball conferences in America, and it is almost a guarantee that, no matter the game, a great opponent will be on the field to take on the Panthers. Using the standard test we often apply, a fan can get a seat ($5 for any seat in the park), a hot dog ($2) and a soda ($2) for just nine dollars, meaning a family of four can almost assuredly attend a game for under $40. Parking is also free, removing one of the usual headaches at a game. Value such as this is hard to argue. . Extras 3 High Point has a sports marketing table just inside the entrance to the stadium. The table features free roster sheets and other helpful documentation. For those who love to keep score at a game — and who doesn’t? — score sheets can also be found at this table. If sitting in a regular ballpark seat bores you, the school furnishes rocking chairs along the top of the concourse. These chairs fill up early, so it is best to arrive early to guarantee a shot at one of these comfortable chairs. Rocking chairs are a long-time part of Southern lore, and these chairs give the park a sense of identity. If you are a “knothole” viewer who chooses to watch the game from outside the interior of the park, there is a large hill behind the first base dugout on which fans can stand or sit. This area also contains one of the only sections of shade in the vicinity of the park. There is also a section beyond the center field wall called the Panther’s Den, in which fans tend to gather to watch the game. This area contains picnic tables and standing room. While these areas allow you to get a glimpse of the game without buying a ticket, you are also not afforded the options of concessions and restrooms offered within the gates. Keep this in mind when making your decision. Final Thoughts Sure, the park could be a bit louder and more lively, but — surprisingly — this may dim some of its charm. If a comfortable, inexpensive baseball experience is what you seek, come pull up a rocking chair at Williard Stadium. You’ll be treated to great people, beautiful weather and a relaxing night at the ballpark.