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Packard Stadium /
Arizona Sun Devils
College ballparks tend to be taken for granted by ballpark aficionados; quite honestly, most of them are not geared for fan comfort -- an outstanding field may be surrounded by dumpy stands (as is the case with Siebert Field at the University of Minnesota). In recent years, however, many athletic directors have realized baseball can be a revenue generator under the right circumstances, so many schools are replacing older ballparks (like USC's Sarge Frye Field and LSU's Alex Box Field) with new ballparks. However, these schools are merely playing catch-up to some of the finer college facilities, which includes Packard Stadium, home to the Arizona State University Sun Devils. (Or, rather, Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark, which will be the facility's convoluted name come 2006. We'll stick with the more traditional Packard Stadium, with apologies to Bobby Winkles and Jim Brock.) Packard Stadium dates back to 1974 but has been updated several times in recent years. Home to a baseball program that a) consistently wins and b) draws well, Packard Stadium is worth a visit if you're in the area or attending spring training in Arizona.
ASU claims Packard Stadium seats over 7,000, but that's a misleading figure: it assumes standing-room only on the berms down each line, as the grandstand seats 3,000 or so. The best part of the ballpark is how the ballpark is situated: located on the northern edge of the ASU campus, the ballpark is next to Sun Devil Stadium (sharing a parking lot) and Wells Fargo Arena, with the Salt River located to the north and the Superstition Mountains off in the distance. There are three types of seats: comfortable theater-style field-level seats behind home plate, multiple sections of metal bleachers with arm rests, and plain metal bleachers in the back. Fans can also sit on berm area down each line. There's no seating beyond the outfield; orange trees provide backing to a relative unforgiving metal fence. Finally, there is a group seating area beside the third-base area. To be totally honest, the fan experience at Packard Stadium is mixed: the reserved armed bleachers are pretty uncomfortable, and if you're at the ballpark with a big crowd you may up feeling claustrophobic. We give the facility a high rating because the facilities are outstanding for players. There's a player lounge underneath the grandstand, with an adjoining sports-medicine facility. The Sun Devils' large clubhouse is also located underneath the grandstand, complete with a weight room. In the right-field corner of the ballpark is an enclosed practice facility with batting cages. Compared with many college facilities, Packard Stadium truly is geared for the needs of the student-athlete.
Concessions
For the Kids
What to Do Before/After the Game Still, there are restaurants and bars that don't totally cater to students, such as McDuffy's Sports Bar (230 W. 5th St.). McDuffy's in Peoria may be better known as the bar where Padres shortstop Matt Bush got into a tangle with a fan, but the Tempe location features the same high number of televisions and emphasis on sports. The Rula Bula Guinness Pub (401 S. Mill St.) is an Irish bar set in a saddlery (don't ask why; it does seem to work). There's an outpost of the popular Gordon Biersch brewpub empire as well, located at 420 S. Mill Street. Locally owned restaurants with Tempe locations include My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, Macayos, Monti's La Casa Vieja, Ra Sushi and Marvos.
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