Suplizio Field
Grand Junction, CO
Review by Mike
Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colorado was built in 1949 as the home of Colorado Mesa University, who still call it home. It has hosted minor league baseball since 2012. The latest professional incarnation is the Grand Junction Jackalopes of the Pioneer League, an MLB Partner League. The basic grandstand is simple, but Suplizio Field offers some distinct quirks that set it apart from the basic seats-around-a-diamond template.
The basic, and likely original, grandstand curves around behind home plate with 15-or-so rows of fixed-back individual seats and no roof. A long bleacher section extends off the end of this, stretching all the way to the left field foul pole. The bleachers at Suplizio are not of the erector set variety, but solid structures of steel construction.
What really catches the eye, though, is the massive building that hovers over the 1st base line. With fixed-back seating below, this building soars straight up above the concourse. There is a party deck at the bottom, then two levels above that serve as press box, luxury suites and hospitality areas. Relative to this cozy, simple ballpark, it is gigantic.
This large, monolithic structure is also cleverly conceived, because right on the other side of it is the town football stadium. With a center aisle and press box and suites on both sides, this large, green building serves BOTH stadiums. It also acts as a de facto roof casting a long shadow over the entire field as the sun sets after first pitch.
The view from the press box is excellent and the scoreboard is nice and crisp and readable. The bleachers on the left field line are nicely lit with recessed purple lighting, a holdover from their days as the Grand Junction Rockies. It’s a nice touch and adds visual interest after the sun goes down and the agreeable view of the Rocky Mountains has faded from view. With a small, but lively crowd and an upbeat, but not overdone, game presentation, Suplizio Field is a very pleasant baseball outpost on the edge of nowhere.
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2023
235
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