| Originally built for an independent team in the Western League, Gesa Stadium is a rather basic, utilitarian ballpark. There is nothing flashy about it, though the fans who come seem to enjoy it just fine. Located along I-182, the ballpark is set among a bunch of soccer fields in the middle of urban sprawl (if such a thing exists in the middle of Washington state). While some mountains can be seen in the distance, the setting is nothing spectacular. The structure of the ballpark is very basic - three large bleacher sections (most without backs) with 5 rows of box seats located at field level. An uncovered concourse runs behind the grandstand. Before the '07 season, one of the complaints here was that the seating bowl was too warm. To fix this problem, a large shade was erected along the 1st base side. This blocks the setting sun and cools off the seating areas a lot sooner. The large shade looks odd (and can be seen from a long ways away), but is very effective as I found out on the night I attended a game. The Dust Devils offer a decent array of concessions including BBQ, Mexican, Pizza, and kettle korn. Prices are reasonable but the quality is average at best. The staff here is very friendly and seem to go out of their way to try to help fans out. With a limited amount of music being blared and only a couple of between inning games, the atmosphere is rather laid back. The team has a mascot, "Dusty", though he was only seen a couple times. I usually only mention the PA announcer when they are annoying, but at Gesa Stadium, the PA guy was perfect. He made all announcements very clearly and didn't just rush through the baseball ones like many announcers do. Because this ballpark doesn't break any new ground or have much unique to offer (except for maybe the giant shade), I can't highly recommend it except for hardcore ballpark fans. But the enjoyable atmosphere still made for a pleasant night at the ballpark.
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