Bowling Green Ballpark facts for kids
Bowling Green Ballpark is a fantastic stadium located in Downtown Bowling Green, Kentucky. It's mainly used for exciting baseball games. This stadium is the home field for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, a team in Minor League Baseball.
The modern ballpark first opened its doors on April 17, 2009. It was a huge event, with a crowd of 6,886 fans! The Bowling Green Hot Rods won their first game there, beating the Kannapolis Intimidators 8-4. This special day brought professional baseball back to Bowling Green after 67 years. Many important "first" pitches were thrown. The Hot Rods players even arrived on the field in cool, old-fashioned cars!
Sometimes, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers baseball team also plays big games here. For example, they played against the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team in 2017 and 2019.
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| Location | 300 8th Avenue Bowling Green, KY 42101 |
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| Coordinates | 36°59′48.40″N 86°26′27.26″W / 36.9967778°N 86.4409056°W |
| Owner | City of Bowling Green |
| Operator | Triple Play, LLC. |
| Capacity | 4,559 |
| Field size | Left Field: 318 ft (97 m) Center Field: 400 ft (122 m) Right Field: 326 ft (99 m) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 4, 2008 |
| Opened | April 17, 2009 |
| Construction cost | $28 million ($38.2 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | DLR Group |
| Structural engineer | Haris Engineering, Inc. |
| General contractor | Alliance Corporation |
| Tenants | |
| Bowling Green Hot Rods (SAL/MWL/MAL) 2009–present | |
Cool Features of the Ballpark
The DLR Group architectural firm designed Bowling Green Ballpark. One cool thing is the wall in right-centerfield. It curves inward because of a road behind it.
The scoreboard in right-centerfield is huge! It's 35 feet tall and 56 feet wide. It can show scores, live video, ads, and player stats. In left field, there's a long LED display board. It's 6 feet tall and 68 feet wide. Behind it is a nice picnic area.
There are also two grassy areas where you can sit and watch the game. One is in left-center, and the other is along the right field line.
Fun for Kids
The ballpark has a special kids' play area. It includes a bouncy car with the Hot Rods' logo. There's also a fun carousel and a playground. Behind the centerfield wall, there's even a splash-pad to cool off on hot days!
Special Areas
The Reinhart Club is a bar located on the suite level. It's right behind home plate. Also on this level are 10 private suites. There's a Hall of Fame suite and a party deck called The Coca-Cola Deck. These areas are great for groups and special events.
Events at the Ballpark
Bowling Green Ballpark hosts more than just baseball games. It's a place for many different events.
In May 2012, the stadium hosted a big baseball tournament. It was the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament. The Louisiana–Monroe team won that tournament.
Many famous musicians have also performed concerts here. These include Florida Georgia Line and Nelly. Other artists like Jake Owen, Ted Nugent, and Uncle Kracker have also played at the ballpark.
