| Trustmark Park, located in Pearl, is just five minutes from downtown Jackson, which is clearly the market that is being served here. While baseball thrived in Jackson during the 1980's, Smith-Wills Stadium was deemed not suitable for affiliated ball in the late 1990's when the team moved to Round Rock, TX. But baseball was reborn again in the Jackson area with the opening of Trustmark Park in 2005. Visible from I20, the park is situated nearby a Bass Pro Shop and in the middle of a sea of parking lots (parking is free here). Because of this, there is no sense of place - while inside the park, you could be anywhere in the country. It follows the usual new ballpark template : a concourse that overlooks the field with luxury boxes stacked overhead. The concourses seem to be extra wide here, though much of the space is underutilized. A restaurant (with outdoor seating) is located behind the right field fence and a large covered picnic area is in left field. Seating consists of all blue fold down chairs, with the ones in the outfield angled toward the infield. A grassy berm behind the left field fence is also available for fans who don't mind not having a seat. Concessions are fantastic at Trustmark Park - there is a great variety of items and the quality is excellent. Some of the menu items offered include a catfish platter, chicken on a stick, burgers, and Philly steaks. The atmosphere is about what you'd expect at a southern park - for the most part it is laid back. The PA announcer is very enthusiastic without being over the top and sound effects aren't blared between every pitch. Several on field games are done between innings, the most unique of which is the hamster race which features two adults in inflated balls racing all the way from the outfield to the infield. The team has three mascots : Pearl, Jackson, and Trusty, but I'm not sure exactly what they're supposed to be. There is also a large play area for the kids in the left field corner. My only minor complaint with the park is the lack of a permanent linescore on the scoreboard. They do have a nice video board, however. While Trustmark Park doesn't break any new ground and looks just like dozens of other new parks that have opened recently, it still is an improvement over Smith-Wills and a pleasant enough place to take in a game.
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