Photos by James Hilchen, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14
Tal Anderson Field 2850 S 67th St Omaha, NE 68106
Year Opened: 2021 Capacity: 1,500
Tal Anderson Field
Tal Anderson Field is home to the Omaha Mavericks of the Summit League. Anderson Field opened on March 5, 2021, in a game which saw the Mavericks drop a 10-3 decision to fellow Omaha team, the Creighton Blue Jays. The venue is named after Tal Anderson, a longtime supporter of the program and a former catcher on the team.
The field is located directly next to Connie Claussen Field, home of the Mavericks softball team. The stadiums share part of the facility, which include the restrooms and concession areas. Prior to this venue, the baseball team played at numerous locations throughout Omaha. The stadium was completely financed through private money and is a huge upgrade from the prior venues the team has called home.
Food & Beverage 3
The ballpark is cashless, so be sure and bring a card.
The menu here isn’t extensive. There’s everything you would expect and nothing you wouldn’t expect. That being said, the prices here are worth at least an extra star in this category. Food options range from $2.50-$3. Your choices are hot dogs, brats, nachos, chips, pretzels, popcorn, peanuts, and candy.
Drinks are $2.50 and your choices are Pepsi products (bottles), coffee, hot chocolate, water, and Gatorade.
Beer tallboys run $7 and include Bud, Bud Light, Busch Light, Blue Moon, and Leinenkugel’s.
Atmosphere 4
There is one entrance, in the right field corner. Upon getting to the top of the steps, you get a great view of the entire park. Stadium seats run from dugout to dugout, with grass berms from the dugouts to foul poles and part of the outfield.
The lone concession area and press box sit behind home plate along with the restrooms.
A nicely groomed synthetic surface gives the field an aesthetically pleasing look. The video board sits beyond the right-center field wall and is visible from everywhere in the park. The simplicity of the layout really adds to the experience here.
As typical, there are some on-field promotions throughout the game. A nice touch here is the sound system. The walk-up music and other audio can sometimes bombard the senses. Here, the music is certainly loud enough but hardly overwhelming.
Neighborhood 2
The ballpark is in an area that houses other sporting venues, medical centers, some residential spots, etc. As such, there isn’t much to walk to if you are looking for food or drinks before or after the game, but there are some options within a short drive. The closest food options would be either Mai Thai Omaha or Jimi D’s which serves both Italian and traditional American food. For drinks and traditional bar food, head north on 72nd St and stop by the Pipeline Tavern.
For lodging, there are also a few options, mostly near the 72nd St exit off I-80. Your best bets here are the Doubletree by Hilton and the Courtyard Marriott.
Be sure and check the schedule while you are in town. You may be able to head to downtown Omaha to catch a Creighton Blue Jays game at TD Ameritrade Park (home of the College World Series), or head out to Werner Park to take in an Omaha Stormchasers (AAA) game.
Fans 3
The Mavs have a decent following. The stands weren’t near full, but those there were loud and seem to be regular attendees as everyone appeared to know each other. They knew the players and sensed the important parts of the game.
Access 4
There is a clear bag policy in effect here.
The ballpark is located just east of I-80 in Omaha. Take the 72nd St exit and you’ll be there in a couple minutes. Be sure to have your GPS as there aren’t signs directing you from all directions. Upon arrival, there is plenty of parking across the street. From there, a quick walk up some stairs and you are at the park.
Once inside, getting around is no problem whatsoever, the restrooms are more than sufficient for a typical crowd, and although there is only one concession stand, when there is a line, it moves very quickly.
Return on Investment 4
The tickets are on the high side for college baseball. Adults are $15 and kids can get in for $7. You can buy premium seating for $20 but the stadium has great seats throughout, so it is worth saving a few bucks on tickets. Parking is free and with the low concession prices, attending a game here is a really good deal.
.
Extras 2
If you schedule things right, you can see a doubleheader since the baseball and softball teams share the same area.
A fun challenge for kids, if you get a foul ball, you can bring it back for free ice cream.
Final Thoughts
Tal Anderson Field is a massive step up from the many different venues the team used to play at. There is nothing fancy here, but this is a really nice and relaxing place to watch a college baseball game.