Elliot Ballpark - Connecticut Huskies
- Paul Baker
- Apr 7
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 8
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71
Elliot Ballpark Jim Calhoun Way Storrs, CT 06269
Year Opened: 2021 Capacity: 1,500
Husky Hardball Home
Baseball has been played at the University of Connecticut since 1896. The school has been a major regional power in New England over the years, reaching the NCAA Tournament 25 times and the College World Series five times. Their most recent appearance in the CWS was in 1979. 23 UConn alumni have played in the Major Leagues.
Elliot Ballpark is named for Doug Elliot and family, who provided a major gift towards the completion of the facility. Both Doug and Sheila Elliot graduated from UConn in 1982. Their children, Doug Jr. and Jaclyn, also attended UConn. Both Doug and Doug Jr. played baseball for the Huskies and were named team MVP during their senior seasons.
Elliot Ballpark replaced the Huskies’ longtime home, J.O. Christian Field, which served as home to the Huskies from 1968-2019. The new ballpark stands across the street from the old park, which has been repurposed as a practice field for the soccer and lacrosse teams. Elliot Ballpark was scheduled to open for the 2020 season, but the COVID-19 shutdown ended the Huskies’ season before they were able to play any home games.
Food & Beverage 3
There is a snack bar built into the Rizza Performance Center on the left field patio. A decent menu of snack items is available here for Husky baseball fans, including hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, popcorn, assorted candy and chips. You can combine a hot dog with chips and a drink to save a couple of dollars.
Coca-Cola products are featured at Elliot Ballpark. Fans can also purchase beer or wine here at the concession stand. Domestic brews, including Miller Lite and Corona, are sold here, as well as several specialty beers made especially for UConn athletics. These craft beers include Husky Hops by Kinsman Brewing, TwoConn Easy Ale by Two Roads and UConn Territory by Urban Lodge.
Atmosphere 3
The new ballpark contains many features missing at Christian Field, including artificial turf (a must for playing early-season games in fickle New England springs), lights, turf and dirt mounds in the bullpens. The Rizza Performance Center contains large locker rooms with players’ lounges and showers, coaches’ offices, strength and conditioning areas, film rooms and a cafeteria. It is hoped that these amenities will help the Huskies in recruiting players from beyond Connecticut’s borders.
The centerpiece of the game day experience at Elliot Ballpark has got to be the video board in right field. It’s a rare feature in a New England college ballpark. The UConn staff put the board to good use with graphics, videos and sponsor ads. The ballpark has a good sound system, and music plays throughout the game in typical fashion. The PA announcer goes about his work in a professional manner, giving fans information and adding some energy to the proceedings. There’s a table set up on the concourse filled with UConn swag for fans to take home. Speaking of swag, the UConn Bookstore sets up shop near the entrance to the ballpark with Husky gear for sale.
Neighborhood 3
The University of Connecticut is located in the village of Storrs, part of the town of Mansfield. Downtown Storrs is located just outside the entrance to campus. Storrs has a population of just over 15,000 residents, which pales in comparison to UConn’s enrollment of 32,000. It’s no surprise that the 4,000-acre UConn campus dominates this small town.
Visitors to Storrs can find some solid dining options in town. After the game, head to Mansfield Town Square, where Blaze Pizza, Dog Lane Café and Huskies Restaurant and Cafe are located. Visitors looking for lodging options in town may want to look at the Graduate by Hilton or Spring Hill Inn. If you want more information about things to do in Storrs, check out DowntownStorrs.com.
A must for visiting fans is the UConn Dairy Bar. The Dairy Bar, operated entirely by students, has been in operation since 1953. All products sold here are made fresh on site. While enjoying your ice cream you can watch the cows grazing in the adjacent fields.
Since there aren’t a ton of options near UConn, many fans coming to the area will move on to Hartford, located about a 30-minute drive to the west, or the twin casinos of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, located about 45 minutes to the southeast.
Fans 3
Crowds at Elliot Ballpark can vary in size depending on the time of year, day of week, time of day, opponent, weather, and more. This is the northeast, and it’s best to make your plans in pencil if you’re planning a ballpark road trip in this part of the country. The Huskies draw anywhere from 250-1,000 fans for baseball games. As you would expect, the crowds grow in size as the season wears on and the weather warms up. Stadium Journey visited Storrs on a warm early April Saturday morning (yes, morning) with a crowd of about 500 in attendance. This is a very large crowd for college baseball in this part of the country, but there was plenty of room around the ballpark for an even bigger crowd.
The fans who come to Elliot ballpark are knowledgeable about the team and enthusiastic in rooting on the Huskies. This is a livelier atmosphere than you usually see at a college game in the northeast.
Access 3
Elliot Ballpark is located on the southwest edge of campus alongside many of UConn’s other athletic facilities. Fans who haven’t visited the UConn campus in a while may be surprised by how the area looks now, as the hockey, baseball, softball, lacrosse and soccer teams all have new homes. Parking is available in the lot next to the Tuscano Family Ice Forum and at South Garage across the street from Gampel Pavilion.
The seating bowl at Elliot Ballpark stretches from first base around to third base. Individual blue stadium seats make up the lower sections, while aluminum bleachers without backs make up the upper sections. A walkway separates the upper and lower seating sections. There are accessible seating areas for those fans who require such accommodations. A large berm down the right field line contains plenty of room for fans who wish to bring their own blankets or lawn chairs and set up shop. Several Adirondack chairs are lined up atop the berms for fans wanting a higher vantage point.
There is standing room available down both foul lines. Views from these areas feature unobstructed field level views in right field and picnic tables in left field. Rest rooms are located underneath the stands at Morrone Stadium on the left field patio.
Return on Investment 2
This is the area where the UConn baseball experience falls short of other ballparks in the northeast, and where the FANFARE score for Elliot ballpark is negatively affected. UConn charges for admission to Husky baseball games, which is a rarity in this part of the country. Tickets are sold at $12 for chairback (lower grandstand) seats, $10 for bleacher (upper grandstand) seats, and $7 for general admission (standing room) tickets.
And even more egregiously, UConn charges fans to park at Husky baseball games. According to several fans this writer spoke to, this is a new policy for the 2026 season. Parking in the lot adjacent to the Tuscano Family Ice Forum costs an additional ten dollars. This gives UConn the distinction of being the only one of the 20 Division One baseball teams in New England to charge fans for parking at baseball games.
Fans will find concessions priced similarly to other area venues. Overall, going to a Husky baseball game is more affordable than a minor league ballgame in the area, but when compared to other area college games, it comes up short in terms of value.
Extras 2
Retired numbers, Husky World Series appearances and conference championships are memorialized on the façade of the Rizza Performance Center beyond the left field wall. NCAA Tournament and Super Regional Appearances are posted up on the right field wall.
Photos of all 22 Husky alumni to make it to the Major League are posted on the wind screen on the back side of the seating bowl. Some recognizable names include Walt Dropo, Charles Nagy, Matt Barnes and George Springer.
Final Thoughts
To be able to compete for recruits on more than just a regional scale, it was clear that UConn needed an upgrade in their facilities. With Elliot Ballpark, this is a mission accomplished. The Huskies now have a home field packed with amenities as good as any ballpark in the northeast. From a fan perspective, the upgrade is just as impressive. Storrs may be off the beaten path, but it’s now a path worth traveling.
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