Essex County Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field - Seton Hall Pirates
- Gregory Koch
- May 4
- 4 min read
Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71
Essex County Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field 400 South Orange Ave South Orange Village, NJ 07079
Year Opened: 2005 Capacity: 700
Pirates Softball in South Orange
Essex County Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field has been home to the Seton Hall University Pirates softball team since 2005. The stadium features a turf field and a capacity of 700. Technically it is located not on the Seton Hall campus but in Ivy Hill Park, a county park adjacent to the Seton Hall campus.
Mike Sheppard, Sr. whose name is also on the adjacent Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium at Owen T. Carroll Field, home of Pirates baseball and soccer, was the longtime baseball coach at Seton Hall University and led the Pirates to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including College World Series in 1974 and 1975.
Food & Beverage 0
There is no food or drink for sale at Essex County Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field. Fans are free to bring their own with the exception of alcohol.
Atmosphere 3
Essex County Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field consists of a small set of elevated bleachers running from the inside of one dugout to the inside of the other. Fans sitting here will be up close to the action and have great viewing angles, though they will be behind a net due to how close they are. Some fans also choose to stand down the foul lines by the bullpens. There is no netting there, but no place to sit either - standing will be your only option.
There is not a whole lot going on here other than the game itself. Music is played between batters and during other breaks in the action, and the PA announcer makes the standard announcements, but that is about it.
Neighborhood 5
The Seton Hall campus is located in South Orange, New Jersey, which may be the best college town in the Big East. The downtown area around South Orange Avenue is filled with local businesses. Bunny's Sports Bar is very popular with the locals, but you will find many options here, from Italian to Chinese to bars, pubs, and whatever else you might want.
Just keep in mind if you head too far east on South Orange Avenue towards Newark, the neighborhood gets a lot worse. You should be safe if you drive through here in your car on the way to or from campus, but you don't want to do too much walking around here.
Still, as long as you stick to the part of South Orange Avenue near campus, this is a great neighborhood.
Fans 2
Seton Hall only draws a few dozen fans to a typical softball game, most of them friends and family of the players. Those who do attend are very knowledgeable about the team, the players, and even rival Big East Teams who Seton Hall plays. During the game we attended, we overheard fans having knowledgeable discussions comparing the Pirates' opponents that day to Big East opponents they had previously faced. While the Pirates' fanbase isn't large in number, they do know their stuff.
Access 4
Seton Hall is located on South Orange Ave., which runs through Newark into South Orange itself. Although Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field is technically located in Ivy Hill Park, your best bet is to park on campus in the large parking garage. Then, you will walk through a gate marked "Ivy Hill Park" and the stadium will be right there. Parking is free in the garage, but may be challenging on weekday afternoons as it is also used by faculty and others at the college. Many GPS apps will try to take you to the wrong place if you enter the stadium name, but if you can just get to the college campus, tell the guard at the entrance checkpoint you are going to the softball game and they can direct you to parking.
The South Orange train station is also located a short walk away from the Seton Hall campus.
Restrooms are located down the third base line and consist of two single person bathrooms. There are also port-a-potties down the right field line. Keep in mind that the restroom on the right (as you are facing the entrance) has its lock mislabeled from the inside. When it is locked, it will say unoccupied, and vice versa. It works fine from the outside, and the restroom on the left works fine from both sides. This can cause confusion where people think their door is locked when it isn't.
Return on Investment 4
Admission to Seton Hall regular season softball games is free. So is parking and you won't pay anything for concessions because there aren't any. However there isn't enough here to earn the top score.
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Extras 1
Look for the banner on the right field fence honoring Seton Hall Big East titles and postseason appearances.
Final Thoughts
Essex County Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field is a simple softball stadium, but is still a nice place to take in a game. You will sit up close and personal to the action, and it's hard to argue with the chance to see a live sporting event for free given everything seems to be going up in price these days.
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