Anteater Ballpark
Irvine, CA
Review by Mike
Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark is the home of the UC Irvine Anteaters, who play in the NCAA D1 Big West Conference. Despite its location in the congested outskirts of Greater Los Angeles, Anteater Ballpark seems almost rural, set at the edge of open fields and marshlands. Despite all the space, the only parking is available in a large garage beyond the rightfield fence and, be warned, the parking will cost you more than the game ticket.
095540
The ballpark consists of a single grandstand that wraps around home plate and continues nearly halfway down the baselines. It’s small, but ample, featuring about twelve rows of fixed back individual seats. The entire right field line is occupied by a large grass berm which, on this day, had a fair crowd of spectators on beach blankets and kids darting hither and thither.
There is a building along the left field line that seems to be for hospitality, with a large open side where people watched the game holding potent potables. Beyond that is a cinderblock structure that I assume to be the clubhouse. A long rectangular press box sits on the concourse above home plate. The walkway, which is at the top of the seating, passes right in front of the open windows, allowing for people to stand right below the open windows and listen to the play-by-play.
Concessions are available at some tables with tents, where a grill cooks up savory meats and the usual snacks, drinks and hot dogs are available. There were a few interesting items on the menu, but the pricing was big league, so I chose to pass. The scoreboard is a serious affair with a large video board, and a full line score. It’s very sharp.
Anteater Ballpark is pretty basic, but being there on game day with a good, lively crowd, made for a nice experience. The views are good, even if there is a little more foul territory than usually found in a stadium of this size. College baseball seems to be alive and well in Southern California as even the most modest ballpark I visited in the area is solid and well-loved.
--
2026
311
--
A UC Irvine player is seen demonstrating the legendary, though rarely seen, bat levitating skills for which the school is quietly famous.