Nine Great Baseball Venues in the West for 2018

Residents of the Western United States are blessed to live in a region containing impeccable weather and magnificent landscapes. Those two variables alone make the West a perfect baseball locale. After all, what better way to enjoy the national pastime than under a pristine blue sky while gazing off into the distance at exquisite natural scenery. Here are nine of the best venues, listed alphabetically, to do just that.

1. Aera Park (Bakersfield, California)

This impressive park serves as a recreational location for locals, with a playground, Wi-Fi and other amenities along with picturesque landscapes and connective walking paths. For visiting athletes, eight baseball fields of varying size are available, with three lighted for night play. Stands for spectators and a concessions area round out the facility’s essentials. The diamonds are used by a variety of local teams and leagues ranging in age, most belonging to Bakersfield Southwest Baseball, including a Championship Division for children and young adults with special needs.

2. Albuquerque Regional Sports Complex (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

This new venue features five fields that can be adjusted to accommodate baseball, softball and little league teams. The complex is ideal for hosting tournaments as each field has high school-level field lighting and is made up of entirely synthetic turf and includes two bullpens and dugouts. Bleacher seating with shade canopies at each field provides spectators with a fabulous view of the game. Also, on site is a multi-purpose building with a full concession stand, press boxes, locker rooms and an event room on the second level with impressive 360-degree views of the Rio Grande Valley.

3. Bobcat Baseball Complex (San Marcos, Texas)

The Bobcat Baseball Complex can accommodate 2,000 spectators for a game and is home to the Texas State University baseball team. Tournaments looking to rent the facility will appreciate the chance to compete on a field where college-level teams ply their trade. The venue also offers a state-of-the-art video scoreboard to document the game play-by-play, enabling fans to seamlessly keep up with the action.

4. Camelback Ranch (Glendale, Arizona)

A baseball facility that has few rivals, Camelback Ranch is the Spring Training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. Located on 141 acres, this Sonoran Desert-inspired two-team facility offers baseball fans more than top-quality playing fields and facilities. The site also features picturesque walking trails, landscaped grounds and an orange grove. Guests will also enjoy water features and a fully stocked lake between the Dodgers and White Sox facilities. The facility includes more than 118,000 square feet of Major and Minor League clubhouse space, 13 full baseball fields and three half-fields. It is the largest venue in the Cactus League with a capacity of 13,000, including 3,000 lawn seats, 12 luxury suites and a party deck.

5. El Pomar Youth Sports Park (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Open for play in June of 2000, the park is made up of 18 playing fields covering 58 acres. The park’s amenities include nine baseball/softball fields, eight natural grass soccer/lacrosse fields and one championship-size artificial turf field with Musco field lighting. The baseball/softball fields feature four fields with 210-foot outfield dimensions, one 230-foot field, one 290-foot field, two 335-foot fields, and one field that reaches a hearty 380 feet.

6. Ford Park Fields (Beaumont, Texas)

Featuring 12 championship-caliber youth baseball and softball fields along with all-weather turf infields, Ford Park Fields is a tremendous venue. The facility offers covered bleacher seating with protective netting over all spectator areas, ensuring fans will enjoy the games in comfort. Ford Park Fields also includes designated team warmup areas, concession stands and 1,000 well-lit onsite paved parking lots. Ford Fields is host to more than 30 youth baseball and softball tournaments a year put on by Nations Baseball, USSSA Baseball, Stars over Texas Softball and the United States Fastpitch Association.

7. Kino Sports Complex (Tucson, Arizona)

Covering 155 acres, the Kino Sports Complex is the largest venue in Pima County for youth, amateur and professional sports, concerts and community events. Featuring eight immaculate fields with manicured grass infields and outfields, this Major League Baseball Complex contains state-of-the-art amenities that any tournament will embrace. The south baseball complex includes the 11,000-seat Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, seven full-sized fields, three clubhouses and parking.

8. Sam Suplizio Field (Grand Junction, Colorado)

Home of the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Baseball World Series since 1958, Sam Suplizio Field is considered by many one of the most beautiful ballparks in the country. The park has a seating capacity of 7,048 but can accommodate about 10,000 fans. Thanks to a recently completed $8.3 million renovation, the stadium provides patrons a clear view of the action on the field from anywhere in the park. It also has upgraded luxury boxes, modern concession areas, a press box and chairback seating. The park was named after former Denver Bears right fielder, New York Yankees prospect and Major League Baseball coach Sam Suplizio.

9. Stephen Schott Stadium (Santa Clara, California)

Santa Clara University’s baseball team calls Stephen Schott Stadium home. The 1,500-seat stadium is fully lit and includes an electronic scoreboard. Teams will love the 5,000-square-foot clubhouse (with showers) to prepare for the game and relax after a hard-fought contest. The park also holds a four-window concession stand, an umpire locker room, four covered batting cages, a medical training facility and 800-foot dugouts. Parking is adjacent to the field and around the university campus.

 

 

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