For this level of play, it was certainly much more than I was expecting as I got out of my car and approached the field. It had a feel sort of like a spring training complex on a much smaller scale, where there is a lot of other stuff going on and kids running around playing, and if you turn your head you can just so happen to watch a ballgame 50 feet away. As I made my way past the screaming children and took my free seat in the front row among the 100 or so fans that were mostly parents, I was quickly grounded that this was in fact D-III ball and not Arizona. The park features 5 rows of bleachers spanning roughly between the on-deck circles, a gap for entry on each side of that (all behind full-height netting of course) and then stand-alone at-grade dugouts on either side as well. The dugouts and the press box building behind the bleachers were the only real structures of the "stadium," but as I eluded to earlier, there is a very nice concessions/events building back and to the left of the ballpark, connected by a plaza, all of which serve the greater park itself. There is a sign that says "no alcohol beyond this point" as you enter the bleachers, so I can only assume that either Glendale is OK with BYOB in their parks, or the concession stand doubles as a beer garden during the year - although the only thing I noticed on tap was root beer from nearby Sprecher. I was shocked that there was even concessions at all, so I am definitely not complaining about the lack of beer. They served the standard ballpark fare of sausage, nachos, popcorn, and ice cream, but most of the spectators, myself included, brought their own beverages and snacks. Overall I would say that the size of the facility and operations, and certainly the level of play were all what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised with how nice everything was and the synergy with the greater park. It certainly wasn't an afterthought to plop a baseball field among a community park, or vice versa, and it was a nice wholistic experience. The stadium and the concessions building are both done in the same limestone, cast stone, and phenolic wood siding, with a similar architectural aesthetic, so it was clear they were thought about if not designed at the same time. Now that I got my token nerdy architect comment out of the way - on to the game.
Between the generally lower level of play and trying to move around to find a decent place to sit, it wasn't the easiest game to watch. The press box drowns out a big portion of the bleachers in shade - which is probably nice when it's 80° but not in March - so I tried to keep moving with the sun, but the fencing also created a lot of obstructions, so there were very few seats that were actually usable. Anyways, the fast pace of play did make up for this significantly. If MLB is looking to increase action and pace of play, they need look no further than D-III ball. Quick at-bats, no stepping out of the box or off the mound, no long replay reviews, no 3-4 minutes between half-innings - just throwing heat and taking hacks. In fact, there was one player that stepped out of the box at one point to mentally process a poor umpire call, and he was booed by the other bench and told to get back in the box. Defense was actually pretty crisp, but there were a combined 25 strikeouts out of 54 possible outs, and there were only 2 combined extra-base hits, so that's a pretty good snapshot of how the game went. Even though he was tagged with the loss, the MSOE starter Nolan Vincent was the most entertaining player of the game. The guy looked like a bar-league softball player with a gut and long ratty hair, and couldn't have thrown much higher than 80mph, but he managed 10 Ks in 8 strong innings with only 1 earned run and 91 pitches. Connor Brinkman, who notched the save for for UW-Oshkosh, was also quite impressive. He was a lefty with a Lucas Giolito-type short-arm delivery, and a wicked slider. He struck out 6 in 4 hitless innings. John Jacob "Jingleheimer" Kalitowski had the lone hit for the Raiders, who was stranded following a leadoff triple in the 6th, and Zach Taylor had the big RBI double for the Titans in the 5th that would be all they needed in the 3-0 victory.
As you've probably figured out from reading this, Division III ball in a cold weather state certainly isn't the most glamorous. However, I still highly recommend an MSOE game as a way to enjoy an uncharacteristically warm March day, for anybody looking for something free and fun to do with your kids, or simply a way to get your baseball fix in before the Brewers get started. Speaking of which, Home Opener is on April 14th - Milwaukee Day! Megan and I got our tickets and we can't wait!
best food - Sprecher Root Beer on tap
field dimensions - 320/395/315
touch with baseball when his childhood heroes Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Jim Gantner retired but the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 reignited his passion. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Erik became involved with the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. With this group Erik traveled to Portland, OR and Baltimore, MD to work on construction projects and help the group raise $25,000 to partially sponsor a house in Milwaukee. Also at UWM, Erik met Peter Nagel. The two attended their first Brewers game together during Opening Weekend 2003. Despite their failure to ignite the coals at their first tailgate, the two had a blast and were soon making weekly trips to the ballpark. Erik has gone on to several colleges and changed careers several times, and has moved all the way out to New Hampshire, but has always stayed true to his baseball roots by holding part-time stadium usher jobs. To this day he looks back fondly on his incredible cross-country journey.
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