Yakima County Stadium
Yakima, WA
Review by Gary
Yakima County Stadium is easily accessed right off Interstate 82 in Washington. The ballpark is nestled near the core of State Fair Park, sharing a parking lot with the Yakima Valley SunDome and the Central Washington State Fair. Home first to the Yakima Bears of the Northwest League from 1993 to 2012, who moved here from Parker Faller Field, this facility is the apple of the eye for the Yakima Valley Pippins of the collegiate summer wood bat West Coast League (WCL). The Pippins first played in the WCL as early as the 1930s.
The main entrance is spectacular, with vintage team photos adorning the concrete grandstand, greeting fans as they enter the grounds. Built in 1993, this “Apple Country” venue offers 1,500 seats with backs and another 1,300 bleacher seats. All of these seats are on a structure that is about six feet above the playing field with the concessions, office and locker rooms at ground level under it. In 2026, a new section of seats was installed in the right field corner to offer fans like Granny Smith and the Macintosh family the chance to sit at field level.
Jordan Rowland, the General Manager, was proud to tell me about the addition of this picnic seating in fair territory, saying that, “No home run was ever caught at either of the Yakima ballparks due to the high outfield walls and lack of seating”. Hopefully, many a fan snagged a souvenir ball during the 2026 season.
Speaking of walls, Yakima County Stadium’s outfield barriers rise up to 16 feet, but do not detract from the views of the magnificent rolling hills and ridges in the distance. The ballpark offers invitingly short home run distances of just 293 feet to each of the foul poles. The outfield increases vastly in distance to create corners in right and left field before colliding at the 405’ mark in center field.
It is unknown if the Pippins’ team doctor requires that each player consume an apple each day. Bonus points for the name of the mascot, Scott T. Pippin. Brilliant! Thanks to Jordan for graciously letting me look around hours before Opening Day, while he, his wife and his kids were scrambling to get the stadium ready. I wish that I had a chance to see a game at this fruitful ballpark.
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2026
314
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