Brent Brown Ballpark

Utah Valley Wolverines, Western Athletic Conference

6/10

The main entrance, possibly the only one, is on the third base side.

Between innings versus Grand Junction.

A walk to the center field berm produced a decent shot of the whole seating area.

I got a game in here in September 2015, making it my last of the 8 Pioneer League parks I took in. I had a bit of a rough drive in from Denver, hitting some serious construction, plus a significant jam leaving Denver on I-70. Still, I made it in the 2nd inning I think.

This is a park that does double duty, serving as the home for the Utah Valley University team in the spring and the Owlz in the summer. The park is called Brent Brown Ballpark, but the team, and my ticket stub call it "The Home of the Owlz", for some reason. Oh well. It's well laid out, a little small, but most of all, has the weirdest netting I've seen so far. The net goes all the way up, then has a diagonal net to connect it to the top of the park's roof. This is supposedly to keep foul balls from getting anywhere near spectators, but I witnessed a few exceptions. One went into the net above the first base dugout, then up and around the whole net, but then down the other side. But the scariest was a foul ball straight into the straight-edged roof, which then deflected straight down into a woman's arm. She was given the ball, which had a significant dent in it. 

The concession situation is only a little better, with standard options at a good price, but limited selection and certainly nothing unique. Of note, this park does not sell beer, as I'm pretty sure UVU is a dry campus. The previous home of the Owlz, in nearby Provo as the Provo Angels at Brigham Young University's park also featured no home games on Sundays to my knowledge as well, hence the move to Orem. I am hardly a double-fisting, 7th inning is the beer inning, drunken mess. But sometimes, I will have a beer at a baseball game. Some people will have more. Most teams make a fair chunk of cash, selling beer. But not the Owlz.

The atmosphere is very sedate, most people are baseball second types, with few really into the game. I went on a Tuesday night and only around 1,000 showed up and the park was a bit quiet and listless. There are three teams in the metro area of Salt Lake City and I think the Salt Lake Bees had a home game as well, which could explain things somewhat.

Overall, I would take off a half point each for the park, due to the netting issue and the concession, because of a lack of a selection and no beer. With this place on a prime spot of I-15, I will likely be back soon enough.

Update 2025: I ended up back here a year later, on my way to Anaheim to pick up the Blue Jays on a west coast roadtrip in 2016. It was the only park I could actually get on the way, with the Minor League playoffs nearly over. A sparsely attended game saw the Owlz take home the Pioneer league flag for the final time in Orem. The next year, the park took on the name UCCU Ballpark, after a local credit union. 

Even before minor league contraction entered the conversation, ownership were already looking to move the team to Colorado. That project fell through, but another soon took shape and 2019 was the last year for the team in Orem and in affiliated baseball. The team left for Windsor, CO, taking the name Northern Colorado Owlz.  This place is now "just" another college ballpark, so I doubt I'll be back. Still, the backdrop is one of the best I've seen anywhere. 

Linescores

2015-09-01

                                                   123   456    789  RHE

Grand Junction Rockies(COL)  000  021 050  8 13  3

Orem Owlz(LAA)                      000   002 000  2 4 2

Time: 2:34 Temp: 88F Att: 1,470

2016-09-16 

                                           123   456    789  RHE

Billings Mustangs(CIN)     000  101   000   271

Orem Owlz(LAA)              000   020  10x  351 

Time: 2:13 Temp: 67F Att: 2,016

Note: Orem Wins Pioneer League Championship

Elks Field

 Brooks Bombers, Western Canadian Baseball League

This is a very no-nonsense, amateur ballpark. For spectators, there isn't much of a gate, or a door.

Large metal posts make it difficult to get a clear shot of the field, but this is about as good as you'll do.

I've been around 10 games here, but didn't pay once. That's because I volunteered here. I got around 6 or 8 games of play by play, a few games doing the music and one doing the public address. I never really watched here, but this is about what I can tell you. The park is actually relatively new, opening in 2015. It's got a small metal seating bowl with a good sight lines. There is an elevated platform on the third base side where group functions occasionally take place. The atmosphere is very small town, as the park holds well under 500 people, usually only getting up to around 300. But, the people who go typically want to be there and season ticket holders make up the bulk of the support. The concession options here are slightly above what you'd expect for a place this small, with local beer on tap and mac and cheese bites available as well. The 2022 season was a step up for the Bombers, as they made their first playoff appearance and they'll be looking to build even more in '23. I will definitely make a point of swinging by here this summer when I'm in the area.

Spitz Stadium

Lethbridge Bulls, Western Canadian Baseball League

There wasn't really an entrance towards home plate, but this was what it looked like.

The first live baseball I'd seen in about two years.

The socially distanced, limited crowd files out.

I actually got back on the road for a day trip in 2021, this ended up being my only game for that whole season. This park used to host minor leaguers from the Dodgers, Expos and Diamondbacks organizations for a little over 20 years, before the affiliated minors moved south. The Bulls, a collegiate summer league team, moved in the next year. The park had been renovated within the previous few years of my visit. The Bulls current league, the Western Canadian Baseball League, was playing a reduced schedule that season, with COVID restrictions still in effect, which meant only 5 teams for the summer. 

It was tough to rate very much, given the unique circumstances for the game. The park is old enough that Andre Dawson played here when in the Expos system, but renovations have kept it looking good. Concession was somewhat limited due to the smaller crowds, which also ended up limiting the atmosphere somewhat. I ended up volunteering in Brooks during this year's summer league season, but if I had the opportunity, I'd be willing to head back down to go here with a bigger crowd.

Seaman Stadium

Okotoks Dawgs, Western Canadian Baseball League

No Rating

The crowd files up the stairs about 30 minutes to game time.

Once you're inside, this appears to be a cut above your average summer league park.

The best shot I could get of the seating area. The press box behind home plate reminds me a lot of Orem.

I headed off for the 2 hour drive to Okotoks in August 2019, having finally decided to make a run down here. This is the best attended stadium in the 12 team Western Canadian loop, featuring summer league baseball in front of crowds that are usually in the hundreds(or under a hundred) except for here. This place reliably gets at least 2,500 a game. The town of Okotoks is only around 15 thousand, but being 20 minutes down the road from Canada's 4th largest city, Calgary, there's plenty of potential fans not far away. The team moved out here from Calgary after having to fight with the Vipers team there over home dates, eventually having to skip a season entirely. The joke ended up being on the Vipers though, as private donations, including from the Seaman family, whose name is on the park, financed this place and the fieldhouse immediately next door. It's a solid summer league set up and unlike a lot of teams in this league, they do attract some players from top Div I schools.

Even before I came here in person, I knew this was a nice park. I'd heard about crowds in excess of 5 thousand for holiday weekends, which here, would have meant fire code capacity. But when I got here, it was clear that this park could have for sure hosted a Rookie level team in the Pioneer League, never mind everything else that would have to happen. Our visit was in mid-July of 2019 for a midweek game against Medicine Hat.  There ended up being closer to 3,000 people here, which was steady, but not too busy to get anywhere. The concession items were all the usual staples, but there was nothing unique or distinctive either. The atmosphere was the best part of coming here, it wasn't overly enthusiastic, but people were generally into the game and if they weren't, they weren't into being overly noticeable either. 

I did not give the park a number rating, as I don't for summer league. Minor League contraction means that affiliated baseball is not coming here ever, which is too bad, as the park and the fan base could handle it. But, with the Pioneer League officially off on it's own now and the league's statement making reference to promoting baseball in the Western United States and Canada, it's not impossible that professional players could call this place home soon enough.

Phoenix Municipal Stadium

Arizona State Sun Devils (Pac-12)

8/10

 

The main entrance is on the 3rd base side, you need to go up a spiral walkway, across the street, then back down to get there from the parking lot.

2013 prior to my suspected "Last game at the Muni", I turned out to get one more.

A sparse crowd watches Arizona Fall League action in 2011.

I didn't make it to a game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, a.k.a. "The Muni" until 2011, my 2nd spring in Arizona. This stadium is a little different than the others in the Cactus League at the time, as it's history lends itself more to Phoenix baseball than Spring Training. This stadium hosted AAA baseball in Phoenix for 25 years as the Phoenix Giants, then Firebirds, called the Muni home. The Firebirds moved up Loop 101 to Scottsdale when Scottsdale Stadium opened in 1992. The San Francisco Giants held Spring Training here for one year in the 1960's, before the Oakland A's moved in in 1984. The A's had 20 years here before they too moved across town, to HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa, leaving the Muni open. Taking a page from their cross-state rivals in Tucson, the Arizona State Sun Devils decided to move their baseball team from an on campus stadium to the Muni.

At any rate, this is a very straightforward stadium. Stairs lead up to the main concourse, with box seats in front and loge behind. The backdrop is very much stereotypical Arizona, with red rocks and in the case of a 2011 fall league game, a large dust storm. The concessions here were not my favourite, right up until I wandered out to the barbeque stand in the left field corner. I don't remember exactly what I ended up with, but I do remember the burgers and chicken sandwiches coming out of there looking pretty good. The atmosphere here was slightly above average, as the lack of video board and really anything else going on outside of the game made it very enjoyable. The main reason the A's moved (back) to Mesa wasn't the stadium, but more the back fields, or namely the fact that they were about a mile from the main stadium via bus, across the street from the Phoenix Zoo. Now that the team has moved, everything is contained in one complex.

Overall, this was a somewhat unique Spring Training venue, with slightly above average concessions and atmosphere, which should serve the ASU Baseball program well for years to come.

Update 2019: The Sun Devils are enjoying things at the Muni, averaging 2,913 for 2019, which was 21st in the NCAA. I haven't been here in awhile, so I'm not aware of any serious upgrades. This park is highly unlikely to host professional baseball again. I'd go if I had the opportunity, but many other Phoenix area parks would be higher on my list.

Linescores

2011-03-25

                               123  456  789  R H E

Los Angeles(AL)       104  011  030  10 16 0

Oakland                   000  010  020  3 6  2

Time: 2:39  Temp: 70F  Att: 8,540

2011-10-04

                123  456  789   R H E

Mesa         005 120  000   8 7 1

Phoenix     210  602  01x  12 13 0

Time: 2:54  Temp: 91F  Att: 235

2013-03-27

                        123  456  789   R H E

Colorado           210  020  000   5  9  0

Oakland            010  320  00x  6 12 0

Time: 2:33  Temp: 87F  Att:4,795

2014-03-26

                                   123  456  789  RHE

Los Angeles(AL)           001  000  311  661

Oakland                       001  000  010  261

Time: 2:57  Temp: 75F  Att: 5,033

Prince George Citizen Field

Vacant

No Rating

The exterior of Citizen Field just prior to game time

Between innings of Thurston Co. v. Japan

The seating area empty between games.

It was August of 2016 and I had a minor issue. I had progressed well into the season and besides my California trip in May, I had nothing new. Days off from work were all but nonexistent, as vacation was snapped up by everyone but me during that same Cal trip. I was not too sure what to do, when in my random surfings, I noticed that the Pecos League's Roswell Invaders were in the "World Baseball Challenge". My interest piqued, I found that the tournament was in Prince George, BC, about 8 hours away and also included a team from Japan. I picked dates and drove out the morning of the doubleheader I chose to do, arriving just at the first game featuring a rep team from a summer league in Washington and a rep team of Japanese senior amateur players.

It was a clear, hot day, with the Japanese pulling out to an early lead thanks to some fundamental Japanese baseball, and the Evergreen staters, playing with something like a total roster of 11, battling in the late innings to pull back within a few runs, before running out of time. The second game saw the aforementioned Invaders take on a senior league team from Kamloops, the Sun Devils,who held it close, before Roswell showed off some fundamental Pecos League baseball by proceeding to knock every hanging breaking pitch they saw over the fence. Quickly, the game ended via Mercy rule(or "Slaughter Rule" in Japan, maybe a little more accurate).

As for this ballpark, it is Amateur to the core. It's a smaller, raised grandstand, with no fixed seating at all. A temporary structure built from scaffolding had some folding plastic chairs, but that's it. The atmosphere was very laid back, with only around 250 people present. What sounded like a disused train horn was sounded for every home run. The concession was super cheap, with a daily special for the tournament, the big event at this park. Usually, this place sees higher levels of junior and senior baseball, although it's unclear how popular any of that is.

Overall, if I had to rate this park, it'd likely get a 5, if it was lucky, as the facility is alright, but the lack of actual seats is a major flaw. The atmosphere is flat, but not bad, and the concession, while great for a park of this ilk, gets only a half point. Fortunately, this place doesn't get a rating, as while I saw a pro team, I didn't see a pro game. I doubt I'll run out to PG anytime soon.

Stephen Schott Stadium

Santa Clara Broncos, 

(No Rating)

 

 

A relatively pleasant brick exterior welcomes you on the walk up.

What I think are student dorms overlook the ballpark on the right field side.

A compact ballpark that seats 1,500 comfortably.

We swung through here in 2016, after my efforts to get tickets to a Giants/Rivercats exhibition in Sacramento proved beyond futile. I had only ever been to one other college ballpark, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This was the Broncos home opener versus crosstown rival San Jose State. 

In brief, concessions here were not bad, prices were very low, which is the norm at the college level. The product on the field is similar to Low A at best and Rookie at worst. Crowds are small and family or boosters almost exclusively, although some students did show up in middle of the game and proceed to act out as much as possible. We ended up leaving in the 7th to make our way to San Francisco. Overall, a decent night out, given our lack of choices, but I won't be headed out of my way to go back.

If I had to rate this park, it'd probably end up with a 7, with a plus of concessions, but the atmosphere taking that point back. 

Foothills Stadium

Vacant

No Rating

The ballpark is fenced off with motion sensitive cameras, so this was about as "inside" as I got.

This is through a chain link fence....

And my best one probably, you can see the melting snow on the ground.

 I took a walk around Foothills Stadium in March of 2016, when I was in Calgary overnight and it was right across the street from my hotel. This place hosted the PCL Calgary Cannons for many years and when I moved to Alberta in 2011, the North American League's Calgary Vipers were playing here. Famous Cannons such as Bret Boone and Alex Rodriguez played here. I casually looked at a few dates, but didn't go. Of course, the end of the 2011 season saw the end of the North American League and most of it's franchises in short order. The Vipers were controlled by what I call a "hobby owner" and unfortunately, he had gotten very sick and needed to step away, leaving the Vipers without really any chance of operating for the year. Calgary was out of the league by the end of September 2011, leaving the Edmonton Capitals a lot more vulnerable, without a travel partner 3 hours down the road.

This place is simply put, well past it's prime it's a mostly wood and metal ballpark with a very high outfield fence that when I visited, wasn't painted. All I can say is that this place has almost certainly seen it's last pro game, as it's not even the nicest park in the area anymore, as the summer league Okotoks Dawgs play in Seaman Stadium just a few miles south of the city limits, which from photographs is around Pioneer League calibre. Still, I would have liked to have gotten a game in here. It serves as a reminder to get to the vulnerable parks sooner rather than later.

Hi Corbett Field

Arizona Wildcats (Pac-12)

No Rating

A photo stop at Hi Corbett in 2010 shows how the main tenants at the time were the Colorado Rockies for Spring Training and the Tucson Toros of the Golden League for summer baseball. 2010 was the last year for both.

                

A nice usher let us in to have a look, as long as we stayed in sight of him. You can see how the stadium was expanded a few times from this one.

2012 saw Hi Corbett alive with Spring Baseball again, as the Arizona Wildcats moved in. Here, a pause between innings versus Stanford.

                    
Firstly, I didn't rate Hi Corbett, because I have only seen a few college games there, still, I did see enough to write a review. Consider it an exchange.

I first saw Hi Corbett the way most people saw it, on the screen as the Spring Home of the Cleveland Indians in the baseball cinema classic Major League. I remember Willie Mays Hayes doing his happy dance outside the front entrance. I first saw it in person in 2010, when we made a photo stop between the Pima Air and Space museum and a quick bite at Jack in the Box. The Rockies were out of town for the day, but due to play the Dodgers the next afternoon. The park is more a collection of different stands than one big unit. There's the main grandstand, under a roof, to large bleachers offset to either side and smaller metal ones beyond that. The Rockies were due to leave for 2011, when they moved to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, along with the other team in Tucson at that point, the Arizona Diamondbacks. The move ended Hi Corbett's run of 65(!) seasons of Spring Training between the Rockies and Indians. The local independent league team, the Tucson Toros of the Golden League, packed up after 2010, when it was revealed that the Portland Beavers would be moving to town for a 1 year pit stop as the Tucson Padres(they ended up staying for 3). The Padres ended up playing at Tucson Electric Park, although Hi Corbett was their first choice, with negotiations breaking down.

I made a point of travelling back in 2012 when I had seen all the Cactus League parks and wanted to pick up a game. I arrived late thanks to the Phoenix traffic and found out about something I noted in 2010: there isn't much parking. I highly recommend arriving early. The park itself is a nice place to watch a game. There is a relatively thick screen though, with large posts. I found moving up high on the third base side to be a smart move, you could see the whole field well, which is important, because this park is quite large. The college ballgame can be a lot of fun at the right place, Hi Corbett is one of them. The atmosphere was a good mix of baseball and college shenanigans(including a drunken student singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame). Old Park, good crowd, cheap everything, and a product that translates to somewhere between Rookie and Short Season A for the major conferences. I enjoyed my time here and if I was rating it, would give it an 8 or 9. I'm even considering a trip back just for the atmosphere.

Update 2016: I went back here in 2014 for another Wildcat game against Oregon State. I found out about something I didn't notice in 2012, the sun shines into the seats in the afternoon and it is very hot. The 2012 Wildcats ended up winning the College World Series. Pro baseball is giving Tucson another try this summer, with a Pecos League team setting up at Tucson Electric Park.