Roughrider Park - Yavapai College Roughriders
- Meg Minard
- May 4
- 5 min read
Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
Roughriders Park
1100 E Sheldon St
Prescott, AZ 86301
Year Opened: 1970 Capacity: 800 (Approx)
YC Roughriders
The Yavapai College Roughriders play in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC), Div 1. The baseball team plays its home games in the quaint, inviting Roughrider Park at the college’s main campus in Prescott, AZ. Roughrider Park is an especially nice facility for ACCAC, with a snack stand and fold-down seats instead of bleachers.
The Roughriders have won the NJCAA Championships four times, most recently in 2016.
Food & Beverage 2
Roughriders Park operates a small snack stand that opens around first pitch and closes after a few innings, so plan to grab food early. The stand offers basic ballpark staples, hot dogs, nachos, corn dogs, chips, candy, popcorn, water, and soda at very reasonable prices. Alcohol is not served at this on-campus venue. It’s nothing fancy but enough for a quick bite.
Fans are welcome to bring in their own food.
The concession stand also sells Yavapai t-shirts for $20.
Atmosphere 5
Attending a Roughriders baseball game is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
The venue provides four rows of tan fold-down seats, making it more comfortable than the bleachers typically found at ACCAC stadiums. A few seats have name tags on them, which I assume are sponsors or season ticket holders. Center field has Teddy’s Porch with several rows of bleachers, and fans bring lawn chairs to watch the game.
A medium‑thickness net stretches across most of the seating, supported by tall poles reminiscent of telephone poles. Across from the snack bar and restrooms, one net-free area is down the first baseline.
The Roughriders installed new Astroturf in September 2025; the field now presents a sharp, well‑kept appearance. Before that, it was natural grass and dirt. Left field houses a dot matrix scoreboard that displays the basic line score.
The left field has a more pleasant view than right field; hills and trees vs barren scrub and student housing. The left field wall displays the players who have made it to the MLB. Center field boasts the four NJCAA Championships and the coaches who led those teams.
The field has no lights; only day games are played, which is common in the ACCAC.
The announcer does an exceptional job calling the game, the players, and the inning recap. He calls the starting lineup just a tad too fast to record on your score sheet. Music is a tad loud, but it is shut off during most announcements and during play.
Check the weather before attending a game; it could be hot, cold, or even snowy in the early part of the season.
Neighborhood 5
Prescott is a historic frontier town, 5200 ft above sea level, known for its four seasons and abundance of outdoor activities and natural scenery. Yavapai College is only a mile from downtown Prescott, the courtyard square, and Whiskey Row (the historic part of town, with restored 20th-century buildings, shops, restaurants, and lively nightlife).
FARM Provisions (farm to table), The Barley Hound (gastropub), The Fat Frog (Sports Grill), and the Salt and Pepper (breakfast and lunch) are just a few of the recommended places to eat or drink.
Prescott has a reputation for being a strong B&B community. For traditional hotels/motels, a Quality Inn, Motel 6, Rodeway Inn, and Best Western are within ½ mile of the college campus. Plenty of others are in the historic downtown area.
For things to do when in town, check out the Heritage Park Zoo (home to rescued animals), Watson Lake & The Granite Dells (good for hiking, biking, kayaking, and birding), or Fort Whipple Museum (museum of Prescott’s 1880s military heritage). The area has plenty to see and do.
For other sports in the spring, check out Yavapai College's other sports teams: volleyball, basketball, or softball. Less than two hours north is the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks basketball sports team, and less than two hours south is Phoenix, where you can watch a variety of other college and major league sports.
Fans 3
The Roughriders fans are strong and consist of families, friends, parents, and grandparents. The afternoon I attended was Prescott Little League Day, so the crowd included plenty of young fans, adding a lively atmosphere. You can also spot the visiting team parents in the crowd. All fans seem to enjoy the game, and it’s easy to strike up a conversation with other baseball fans. Lots of green and gold Yavapai t-shirts in the stands.
Access 2
Yavapai College is 31 miles west of I-75. The city has a regional airport with two or three United Airlines flights to and from Los Angeles or Denver. Otherwise, if flying in, Flagstaff or Phoenix are your closest choices.
Once you turn onto Marston Ave, follow it to the traffic circle and take the third exit for stadium access. Then, at the first 4-way stop, turn left into the parking lot. Park at the top of a steep hill and walk down to reach the park and back up when leaving. The park does have a small area at the bottom of the hill, but those spots are in prime foul ball territory. If you can manage the walk, it’s best to park at the top and head down on foot.
The grandstand steps are too high, making them difficult to climb up and down. Having handrails on the steps would be helpful and less dangerous. I didn’t see a special spot for wheelchairs, but I bet users can wheel up to where many fans park their lawn chairs. The surface surrounding the grandstand is dirt and gravel.
The facility has solid restrooms with two stalls in the ladies’ room.
Return on Investment 5
The Yavapai Roughriders are one of the few ACCAC baseball teams that charge for admission. Adult tickets are $7, seniors $5, high school students $3, and children under 6, Yavapai students, staff, and faculty members get in for free. Yavapai College offers sports passes for all games, $80 - $150. Seats are general admission.
Parking is free, and the concessions are reasonably priced.
Watching an afternoon game is a delightful time for a baseball fan, so your sports dollar is well spent at a Roughriders game.
Extras 3
A few additional items are worth mentioning. The ball players run to the stands, shake hands, and thank veterans for their service during the ‘honor the veterans’ between-inning event. That’s pretty classy.
Many members of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, Roosevelt’s famed Rough Riders, were from Prescott, hence the Roughriders team name.
Be sure to pick up a printed Roughrider roster sheet from the admission table.
Final Thoughts
Roughrider Park stands out as a quality ACCAC venue, offering comfortable seating, a well‑maintained playing surface, and a family‑friendly environment rooted in the community. For visitors and locals alike, Yavapai College baseball provides an enjoyable and satisfying afternoon at the ballpark.
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