Lenda & Glenda Hill Stadium – Michigan Monarchs

Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.43

Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium 33 E College St Hillsdale, MI 49242

Michigan Monarchs website

Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium website

Year Opened: 2024

Capacity: 750

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Lenda & Glenda Hill Stadium – Michigan Monarchs

The Michigan Monarchs began play in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate Baseball League (GLSCBL) in 1999 as the Lake Erie Monarchs, originally based in Carleton, Michigan. In 2004, the team relocated to Toledo, Ohio, where they played at Ned Skeldon Stadium, the former home of the Toledo Mud Hens.

As that facility aged, the Monarchs began splitting time between Skeldon Stadium and Nicolay Field in Adrian, Michigan, ultimately making the latter their full-time home. Scheduling conflicts prompted another move in 2014 to Flat Rock, Michigan, where the team played for five seasons.

The team returned to Adrian in 2019, playing at Siena Heights Baseball Field, and following that season, rebranded as the Michigan Monarchs. In 2025, the club moved once again, this time settling at Lenda & Glenda Hill Stadium on the campus of Hillsdale College.

The GLSCBL is a league comprised largely of players from mid-major universities, NAIA schools, and community college programs.

Food & Beverage   1

There is no traditional concession stand in use at Monarch games, but soft drinks, Gatorade, and bottled water are sold out of a cooler at a table behind the press box. Although the food and beverage options are limited, fans are welcome to bring their own snacks and drinks into the stadium.

Atmosphere   2

Lenda & Glenda Hill Stadium is a beautiful, newly built baseball facility. A large, steeply pitched roof covers nearly the entire grandstand, which features uniformly navy-blue seats. A drink rail runs behind the seating along the third base side. The stadium is also framed nicely by the tree line, which adds a pleasant backdrop.

The game presentation is refreshingly simple, which suits the setting well. There are no mid-inning contests, blaring sound effects, or gimmicks to distract from the action. Aside from music during mid-inning breaks, the focus remains squarely on the game itself.

A video scoreboard in right center field tracks balls, strikes, outs, and the inning-by-inning line score. However, it does not update run totals until the end of each inning, a minor quirk that a few fans have been overheard griping about. Still, compared to other summer collegiate ballparks, some of which lack operational scoreboards altogether, this delay does not significantly detract from the experience.

Neighborhood   3

Hillsdale, Michigan, is a small town in the state’s southern region, located near the intersection of the Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana state borders.

Lenda & Glenda Hill Stadium is part of the athletic complex at Hillsdale College, which also includes Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center (indoor track), Dawn Tibbits Potter Arena (volleyball and basketball), Muddy Waters Stadium (football and track), and Johnny Williams Field (softball). Between summer workouts and team camps, there is often a steady buzz of athletic activity across the cluster.

Downtown Hillsdale is less than a mile from Hill Stadium and offers a collection of shops and restaurants. While several businesses tend to close early in the evening, some popular eateries include St. Joe’s Cafe, Hillside Filling Station Deli, and Handmade Sandwich Shop. For morning or early afternoon games, Ethan’s Donut Factory and Rough Draft both serve breakfast or lighter fare. The downtown area also features two craft breweries, Hillsdale Brewing Company and Big Pines Brewing.

For recreational options beyond the ballpark, Hillside Lanes offers retro-style bowling just over a mile from campus. The City of Hillsdale also provides an extensive self-guided walking tour of the town’s historic sites. In addition, Mrs. Stock’s Park hosts live music events throughout the summer, and the 414-acre Baw Beese Lake property features a beach, playground, picnic areas, and biking and hiking trails.

Fans   2

The Monarchs typically draw around 50 fans per game, most of whom appear to be friends or family of the players. The crowd does not necessarily create a definitive home field advantage, but is vocal in their support of the team following positive plays, or will let the umps know about questionable calls. Given the purpose of collegiate summer baseball leagues, fan turnout is often a secondary concern.

Access   2

Hillsdale is most directly accessed via Michigan Route 99. The city feels like a small island surrounded by a sea of cornfields. Once on campus, parking is shared with the surrounding athletic facilities, and it’s a short walk to the stairs that lead down into the stadium seating.

Accessibility could be a challenge for some. While there is a ramp on the first base side of the grandstand, getting to it from the parking lot is not especially intuitive. For fans with mobility concerns, the lack of a direct ramp from the lot to the main seating area may pose some difficulties, as the sloped grassy area along the third base side is quite steep and can be tricky to navigate.

Return on Investment   5

Admission is $7, with kids 12 and under getting in free. There’s no formal gate or box office; instead, a team employee circulates through the crowd every few innings to collect entry fees. Seven dollars feels like a fair price for this level of summer ball, especially with no parking fees and very affordable drink prices to match.

Extras   2

The stadium’s cozy layout allows fans sitting near the press box to catch the radio call in real time, adding a unique layer to the in-game experience.

Located just behind the first base side of the grandstand, the Delp Family Bullpen is an artificial turf play area that gives kids plenty of room to burn off energy if sitting in the bleachers becomes too much.

Final Thoughts

For those who appreciate baseball in its purest form, Michigan Monarchs baseball provides the perfect backdrop – the hiss of a fastball, the pop of the catcher’s mitt, and the crack of the bat stand out in the quiet evening air. Fireflies also dance through the warm summer nights, adding to the small-town magic; it is the kind of setting summer baseball memories are made of.