Volcanoes Stadium opened in 1997, but feels more like a 1980's park with its all metal structure and its lousy location right off a highway. Not that a team playing in a short season A league needs anything better, but the New York-Penn League has started to set the standards rather high. Seating at Volcanoes Stadium is made up of field box seats, upper box seats, reserved benches, and general admission benches. Ticket prices are a bit high with the upper box seats going for $10. Also, there is berm seating that stretches from third base all the way into left center field. Sightlines are fine fine from the field box seats, but the seats above the center concourse are obstructed some by railings - something that should not happen at such a new ballpark. A small, basic scoreboard sits in left center field and is angled towards center field, so fans on the third base side do not have a great view of it. While the ballpark is not spectacular, the concessions are top notch. There is a great variety of food items : Mexican, Chinese, sausages (including the "Killer Kielbasa"), burgers (the "Volcano Burger"), and healthy options as well. Some of the food prices are a bit high, but portions are large so it is well worth it. The atmosphere is pretty laid back for the minor leagues - no sound effects and only a couple of between inning contests. The setting is unspectacular as it overlooks I-5 and some mountains can be seen in the distance. Access to the stadium is though a single two lane road so egress can be slow after the game. A mascot named Crater is also on hand to entertain the kids. Volcanoes Stadium is pretty typical of the Northwest League, but not one of my favorite class A parks. Starting in 2021, pro baseball will no longer be played here, but instead an amateur circuit named the Mavericks League will call Volcanoes Stadium home.
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