Maestri Field
New Orleans, LA
Review by Gary
For those tourists who may want to escape the dizzying sights and sounds of New Orleans, Louisiana and see some college baseball at a quality ballpark, they should take a leisurely ten-mile drive to the southern shores of Lake Pontchartrain. It is there that they will discover Maestri Field, home of the Louisiana State University at New Orleans Privateers. Maestri Field is on located campus next to Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena and is named after the school’s longtime baseball coach.
The ballpark opened in 1979 and, for a brief time in the 1990s, was home to the New Orleans Zephyrs of the American Association. When the Milwaukee Brewers Triple-A affiliate arrived in 1993, Maestri Field received improvements that included more seating, with all aluminum bleachers raising the capacity from 4,000 to 5,225. The Zephyrs would play here for 3 years before moving to Zephyr Field, now known as Gold Mine on Airline.
With plenty of parking around the stadium, Privateers fans enter the facility through a wrought iron and brick gate that matches the fence surrounding the ballpark. A huge concourse smoothly guides fans to all seating, concession stands and restrooms. The raised seating is easily accessible by numerous stairs and walkways.
The latest renovations in 2013 saw the majority of the aluminum benches replaced with chairback seating for about 800 spectators. These renovations also included upgrades to the playing surface and the installation of a towering, multi-media press box. Unfortunately, none of the seats are covered to protect fans from the notorious heat and humidity of the Bayou State.
Once known for its high quality and award-winning natural grass playing surface (Maestri Field won the Sports Field Management Association College Baseball Field of the Year in 2023!), an executive decision was made to remove the Bermuda grass and replace it with the seemingly more manageable artificial variety in 2026. We would like to thank the kind folks at Maestri Field for allowing us access to their fine ballpark on this rainy day in June.
2026
2026
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