Photos by Bradlee Ross, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium
524 N Duck St
Stillwater, OK 74075
Year Opened: 1981
Capacity: 3,821
The Allie of Oklahoma State
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium has been the home of Oklahoma State University baseball since it opened in April 4, 1981. With a capacity of 3,821, the stadium has hosted nine NCAA Regional tournaments to date and has undergone numerous renovations, most recently in 2005.
The stadium is named for Allie Reynolds, a six-time World Series Champion pitcher for the New York Yankees and a former Oklahoma State Cowboy. Along with fellow Yankee great and Oklahoma native Mickey Mantle, Reynolds dedicated the ballpark in 1981.
Food & Beverage 2
This particular sporting venue has very little to offer in terms of variety of concessions. While it has your typical ballpark food like popcorn, hot dogs, brats and Coca-Cola products, it has basically nothing else.
The quality and price of the food is good though, so if you are the type who always gets the popcorn and hotdog as part of the baseball-watching experience, you should be fine. But for anyone looking for something out of the ordinary, you will be out of luck.
Atmosphere 2
Unfortunately, what the venue lacks in food variety it does not make up for in atmosphere. The PA announcer wasn’t particularly entertaining, and the crowd itself doesn’t really add much to the atmosphere either.
There is music between innings, and every now and then a movie quote or sound effect was played to liven things up at least a little bit. It was fairly humorous to hear Willy Wonka yell “You get nothing! Good day, sir!” when an opposing batter struck out, but there was little else to keep the casual fan involved.
Neighborhood 5
Luckily, the surrounding area makes up for some of the more deficient categories in this review. Stillwater is a college town and is built around that concept, with a lot of good places to eat and hang out.
The Hideaway boasts the best pizza in the world, and that’s no oversell. Their pizzas are good, ol’ fashioned and American-made, just the way a good pizza should be. They have so many different specials that literally anyone can find something to like.
Another spot that Stillwater is famous for is Eskimo Joe’s. Head over to Joe’s for some of their world-famous cheese fries or a great burger. While waiting on your table, shop around in the adjacent Eskimo Joe’s clothing store.
Stillwater is medium-sized, offering a nice blend of small town ease and larger town appeal. But if you long for more to do, it is also only about an hour from both Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Fans 2
The crowd itself was actually very sparse, despite the fact that the game I attended was a fairly important conference game. While they would get loud every once in a while, the fans were pretty quiet in general, despite what happened on the field.
Some were fairly entertaining with their abilities to berate the opposing batters in the on-deck circle and the umpires. As a whole though, they were average to below average as far as their involvement in the game itself.
Access 3
Parking is not a problem. I was able to get free parking very close to the stadium. Sadly, this probably stems from how small the crowd was. The walkways and aisles provide plenty of room to get around, but the seats are actually pretty uncomfortable. Whether you go with bleacher seating or chair backs (there is no price difference), you won’t be in the lap of luxury.
The facility as a whole is also pretty dated. The seats look old, both in wear and in the color scheme. The restrooms look old too, and have no automatic flushers or dispenser of any kind.
Return on Investment 3
A ticket for a baseball game at this venue is dirt-cheap, which is appropriate given that the experience isn’t the best in the world. However, it should still be better, especially given the tradition and history of the baseball program at Oklahoma State.
So if you find yourself in the area, you should be able to get a cheap seat without even buying the ticket ahead of time, which is convenient. The experience isn’t great, but it’s still baseball.
Extras 1
I’ll give one extra point for the OSU policeman who tried (and failed) to catch a foul ball during my visit. It was actually one of the most entertaining moments of the experience and was especially humorous when the crowd teased him for dropping it.