Hoglund Ballpark - Kansas Jayhawks
- Marc Viquez
- Apr 4
- 5 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43
Hoglund Ballpark 1651 Naismith Dr Lawrence, KS 66045
Year Opened: 1988 Capacity: 2.500
Catching a Jayhawks Game at The Hog
It has been an exciting season for the Kansas Jayhawks baseball team. The team tied a record with 5-straight home runs in a game against Minnesota, attracted a stadium record crowd of 2,660, and currently has a 24-6 record. The baseball program has never looked so good or promising at Hoglund Ballpark, AKA The Hog.
The ballpark opened in 1988 and is named after former Jayhawk shortstop Forrest Hoglund. He played baseball from 1954-56, including serving as team captain as a senior. After graduating from Kansas, he chose to get married and go to work in the oil and gas industry over playing minor league baseball with the New York Yankees.
Before the Hoglund Ballpark, the team played at Quigley Field from 1959-1987. After its final season, more than $450,000 in renovations were made, including the addition of closed-deck bleacher seating, a new press box, restrooms, concession stands, and lighting. It was then renamed Hogland-Maupin Stadium until 1997. Two years later, $1.8 million in renovations were made to increase seating capacity, along with a new press box, expanded dugouts, and the construction of a plaza entrance.
The stadium received extensive renovations during the 2024-2025 academic year, including the installation of artificial turf, a new video board, and an audio system. There have also been improvements in attracting college students with food and drink specials on Friday and Saturday games.
The baseball program is one of the oldest on college baseball. The first baseball team began play in 1866 and have played almost consistently since. The Jayhawks made their lone appearance in the College World Series in 1993 and have made four NCAA tournament appearances, the last being in 2014.
Food & Drink 3
Hoglund Ballpark has a concession stand underneath the grandstand in between the main entrance and the seating bowl staircase. The selection includes Pepsi products and alcoholic beverages: beer and canned cocktails. The ballpark does not accept cash.
The items available include cheeseburgers, brats, barbecue pork sandwiches, nachos, pretzel bites, and hot dogs (6 and 12 inches). There are also boxes and buckets of popcorn, chips, Cracker Jacks, and peanuts available. For the warm weather days, frozen lemonade and Dippin' Dots are sold at the concession stand.
The alcoholic beverages are behind the first base bleachers and include tall cans of Busch Light, Michelob Ultra, and Ranch Water Hard Seltzer. A specialty beer by local Free State Brewing Company produces a Pale Ale beer that features the Jayhawks logo on the can.
Atmosphere 3
The ballpark holds 2,500 people, and on Friday and Saturday nights, the crowd is near capacity and features a raucous student section behind the Kansas dugout on the first base side.. During our game on Sunday, most of the students were not at the game, but the ones who braved the windy conditions filled the aluminum bleacher seating with plenty of banter.
Fans enter through the main entrance behind the home plate and must follow a bag policy consisting of clear bags no bigger than 12x12 and clutch bags smaller than 6x9 inches. The seating bowl features reserved chair-back seats that stretch from dugout to dugout and general admission seats from third to first base.
A few points of interest include a concession stand at the entrance offering shirts, jerseys, caps, and other paraphernalia. There are in-between inning promotions of t-shirt tossing and a hot dog race on the field where three fans don outfits. Of course, there is also baseball which provides most of the entertainment.
Another popular area is the MVP Club in the third base corner. It is designated for donors of the program; they have access to an all-you-can-eat menu, sweets, fruits, and various drinks. There is an outdoor deck and indoor lounge area with flat-screen TVs and couches for a premium stadium experience.
Fans are allowed inside the stadium three hours before first pitch for batting practice, but must leave the stadium an hour before the game and re-enter with a ticket. On warmer days, expect tailgating in the large parking lot across the street behind the outfield walls.
Neighborhood 4
The campus is well worth walking around, especially when the ballpark is within a few hundred feet of the Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The historic home of the Kansas basketball team is worth visiting if you can walk inside. The football field is further away and is under construction, with a finished date this fall.
Lawrence has a population of close to 100,000, and downtown is a foodie's paradise with local dishes and Global cuisine. There are 71 points of interest located up and down Massachusetts Street. However, the downtown area is close to 3 miles from the ballpark and campus.
The options include pub fare: Dempsey’s Burger Pub, Rick’s Place, and Red Lyon Tavern. There are spots for pizza: Rudy’s, Pizza Palace, and Papa Keno’s. If you are looking for Mexican food, check out Molcajetes and Taqueria La Pasadita. International restaurants include Gaia Sushi, Pokelona, Ramen Bowls, and Globe Indian Food. Free State Brewing Company and Black Stag Brewery are the two craft breweries downtown.
The Granada Theater was built in 1928 as a vaudeville theater, but was renovated a concert hall in 1993.
Downtown is also full of markets and shops, including home decor, art, jewelry, antiques, groceries, and clothing. There is also a vibrant music scene and The Bottleneck, Gaslight Gardens, and The Granada are choice locations for live music while in town.
The street is walkable and offers spots to pick up Jayhawk merchandise and do a little grocery shopping. One can spend a few hours up and down Massachusetts Street before or after a Jayhawks baseball game.
Fans 4
The crowds have surged during the season, with record numbers attending the previous two games before our visit. The students have come out by the masses, filling up the third base general admission area and speaking their minds through the game. A few students made their way to the Sunday game and were the loudest at the ballpark. The rest of the fans in attendance made their collection of noise as they bundled up in jackets and blankets. Even though the crowd was thin, the fan support was impressive.
Access 4
Hoglund Ballpark seats less than 3,000 people and features an open seating bowl with concessions, bathrooms, and merchandise tables underneath. The reserved seats are red, while the general admission seating is backless aluminum bleachers. Parking is free on the weekends on a first-come, first served basis. Vehicles are subject to a ticket if parked one hour before the first pitch unless parking is purchased during the week. There is a pay lot on the other side of the Phog Allen Fieldhouse.
Return on Investment 3
General admission tickets are $10, reserved tickets are $15, and children’s tickets are $8 for games. The concession prices range from $6 for a hot dog to $12.50 for a cheeseburger. The cost of beer and mixed cocktails is $10. The price for a cap ranges between $24 to $35. The winning baseball and large crowds improve this area of the FANFARE score.
Extras 4
The ballpark earns a point for the numerous students chasing foul balls in the parking lot behind the first baseline. On a good day, one kid alone could harvest up to 5 balls. A second point for the t-shirt toss during the 4th inning and then the hot dog race later in the game. The last point is for the student section that swells during Friday and Saturday games.
Final Thoughts
Hoglund Ballpark is a standard college baseball facility that offers enough comfort for an enjoyable baseball experience. Is it on par with other ballparks in the Big XII? Perhaps not, but on the Kansas campus, all anyone needs is a winning baseball program to provide all the comforts.
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Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel. Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com
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