I had an extra day in the Cincinnati area in case the Florence Y'Alls were rained out on Thursday. Fortunately, they weren't, so I looked around for a local event on Friday and discovered the Northern Kentucky Norse had an afternoon ballgame, hosting Purdue Fort Wayne in Horizon League action.
I drove over to the university and was happy to find that parking was free as school was out. I then walked over to the Bill Aker Baseball Complex, which was dedicated to legendary NKU baseball coach Bill Aker in 2001, though I could not find out when it actually opened. It has been renovated a couple of times and the entire field, including the pitching mound, is now artificial turf. There are no lights here, so all games are in the afternoon. The facility has a listed capacity of 500, but I'm not sure how they got this number because there are no fixed seats. Directly behind home plate is a large cement block of about 5 or 6 risers. Folding chairs had been set up on each level on either side of the broadcast guy and I would guess there were maybe 30 such seats, with most already taken by friends and family. I grabbed one of the few remaining chairs after snapping the photo above.
Other fans stood down the left field line (view above) and there is a single set of metal bleachers here, which might hold 100 or so fans.
Many chose to watch the game from the hill behind center field, using portable chairs or just sitting on the hood of their car. They must have counted these fans too as attendance was announced at 135, a number I found a bit optimistic. I went up here near the end of the game to take some pictures and was amused to see that the center field camera that sits here is unmanned.
That's all there is to this place, which is just a very simple ballpark. There are no concessions immediately available, though I overheard that a snack store was located in the campus recreation center next door, but it is a long walk.
The game was tough to watch as NKU's pitching was brutal. Starter Ben Gerl gave up 10 runs in just 2.1 innings and two relievers each gave up 4 runs in 2 innings of work. Cade Fitzpatrick (to the right above) was the offensive star for the Mastodons with three homers (his first of the season surprisingly) as PFW romped 18-8 in a game that was ended after seven innings due to the mercy rule, the first time I have seen that at this level. I was up on the hill behind the scoreboard at the time so could not grab a photo of the damage when the game ended.
The next two games saw NKU get revenge with 10-0 and 18-2 wins, with both games seeing attendance over 300. This is really a unique spot for baseball, though you should bring your own chair, and expect a lot of runs.
Notes
Mastodons is a unique nickname in the sporting world, and coincidentally, there is a fossilized skeleton of a mastodon at the Cincinnati Airport. I have never been to the Fort Wayne airport but have to assume it has one as well.
I flew Frontier as the round trip was less than $40 and lucked out by getting a window seat both ways. On the return flight, we flew right over downtown Cincinnati and I was able to take a shot of Paul Brown Paycor Stadium. Those on the left side might have seen Great American Ballpark. By the way, Frontier was checking carry-on sizes as you boarded, which frustrated a lot of passengers who were trying to sneak on a larger bag than allowed. Always pack light when flying these low-cost carriers.
Landing at LGA, we went up the Hudson, where there were great views of Manhattan. Madison Square Garden is in the bottom right corner and you should recognize the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and United Nations as well.
Next Up
A day trip to New Jersey to see two Frontier League stadiums on Thursday, with Sussex County in the morning and the New Jersey Jackals in the evening. Check back to see how it went.
Best,
Sean
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