"Battle At The Ballpark" Weekly: Issue #3
Editor's Note: This is the third of five weekly preview
installments leading up to the "Battle At The Ballpark" on Oct. 3
at Fifth Third Ballpark. Look for a new edition with
information on the game each week.
About The Game: The Ferris State University
football team will square off against the Michigan Tech Huskies in
the "Battle At The Ballpark" on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Fifth Third
Ballpark in Comstock Park, Mich. Kickoff for the Great Lakes
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounter is set for 7
p.m. (EDT) and will be played on the home surface of Minor League
Baseball's West Michigan Whitecaps, who are an affiliate of the
Detroit Tigers. FSU will be the home team and the game will
serve as a fundraiser for the Bulldog football program.
Quote From FSU Athletics Director Tom
Kirinovic:
"We are very excited to be able to play a football game in this
outstanding venue. The opportunity to further provide visibility
for Ferris State University in the Grand Rapids area is tremendous
for our football program. We are looking to provide a quality game
experience for all the great football fans that live throughout
West Michigan."
NEW INFO THIS WEEK:
Fundraising Opportunity: The "Battle At The
Ballpark" represents a tremendous fundraising opportunity for
the Bulldog Football program. The funds raised from this
revenue-producing event will be utilized to help offset the
operating costs of maintaining a competitive Division II football
program and provide additional opportunities for
student-athletes. The partnership between FSU and the West
Michigan Whitecaps will be a 50-50 split, meaning the Bulldogs will
receive 50% of whatever dollars are raised in the event from
ticket, concession and sponsorship sales. Be sure to pick
up extra tickets for your family and friends for this outstanding
event!
Parking: In general, Ferris fans will park in
the north lot at Fifth Third Ballpark with Michigan Tech
fans parking in the south lot. Parking rates are $4.00 at Fifth
Third Ballpark for cars and $7.00 for buses and RV's.
Gridiron Club Tailgating: There will not
be a designated tailgate parking area for FSU Gridiron Club
members, but the group plans to congregate around motor homes set
up in the North Parking lot at Fifth Third Ballpark for the "Battle
At The Ballpark". Parking lot attendants will help point club
members towards the motor home area.
Halftime Activities: The infamous Michigan
Tech Pep Band will be part of the halftime events at the "Battle At
The Ballpark". Come out and watch this well-known band
perform at Fifth Third Ballpark.
Youth Activities: The FSU ROTC & National
Guard will offer several activities for youth, including a rock
climbing wall and inflatable obstacle course as part of the "Battle
At The Ballpark". Additionally, Fifth Third Ballpark features
"Playland", a kid-friendly playground located just past the first
base lawn area. The structure features four slides and a crawl tube
as well as several ladders, climbers and perches. It is also home
to an inflatable bounce house and designed for children ages
5-12.
Concessions: Fans attending the "Battle At
The Ballpark" will be able to purchase food and beverages from
several different concession areas located at Fifth Third Ballpark
throughout the contest. A wide variety of popular concessions
and treats will be offered for the contest. Fifth Third Ballpark's
concessions are located all along the concourse and satellite
concessions located throughout the Ballpark.
ALUMNI
INFORMATION:
FSU Alumni Association Event: The FSU Alumni
Association will hold a special event in conjunction with the game
at Fifth Third Ballpark. For more information on alumni
activities, please contact their office at (888) 378-3647 or visit
this link:
http://ferrisalumni.org/s/812/index.aspx?sid=812&gid=1&pgid=252&cid=1120&ecid=1120&crid=0&calpgid=310&calcid=1113
MTU Alumni Association Event: The Michigan Tech
Alumni Association will also hold a special tailgate reception for
the "Batle At The Ballpark". For more info, please contact
the MTU Alumni Office at (906) 487-2400 or go online to this link
below:
http://www.huskylink.mtu.edu/s/349/interior.aspx?sid=349&pgid=789&cid=1753&gid=1&ecid=1753
TICKET INFORMATION:
Ticket Information: General public tickets are $10
with all college students and those is grades K-12 being charged $5
per ticket. The game will be a no-pass event and everyone
will be required to purchase a ticket. To purchase tickets in
advance to the "Battle At The Ballpark", please stop by the FSU
Athletics Ticket Office (cash/check only) or call the West Michigan
Whitecaps Ticket Office at (616) 784-4131.
Online Ticket Link: Tickets for the "Battle At The
Ballpark" can now be purchased online at this link below:
https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/Buy.asp?EventID=43846
FSU Ticket Sales: General Tickets for this contest
will also be sold in the ticket window until 8 p.m. (ET) at FSU's
home football contest versus archrival and nationally number
one-ranked Grand Valley State this Saturday (Sept. 19).
Kickoff for the Anchor-Bone Classic at Top Taggart Field is at 7
p.m. (ET). More information on ticket sales can also be
obtained by calling the FSU Athletics Ticket Office at (231)
591-2888.
THE TEAMS:
Looking At Ferris State: Ferris State (1-2, 0-2
GLIAC) dropped a 43-7 league decision in its first road game of the
season last Saturday (Sept. 12) at Findlay. Junior receiver
Matt Schuelke caught the first touchdown pass of his career in the
third quarter for the Bulldogs on their only scoring drive of the
game. Ferris' lone win to date came as the Bulldogs
opened their 101st season of action by beating the Tiffin
Dragons 34-14 in non-league play (Aug. 29) at home.
Looking At Michigan Tech: Michigan Tech (0-2, 0-2
GLIAC) suffered a 34-28 conference road loss to
nationally-ranked Ashland as the Eagles opened their new stadium
last Saturday (Sept. 12) in Ashland, Ohio. The Huskies have
lost two games by a combined total of eight points this season
after being listed 28th nationally in the 2009 American Football
Coaches Association Division II Poll. A year ago, MTU
recorded an 8-3 overall record and tied for third in the GLIAC
standings with a 7-3 league mark.
This Week: Ferris State returns home to host
archrival and nationally number one-ranked Grand Valley State on
Saturday (Sept. 19) evening in the Anchor-Bone Classic at FSU's Top
Taggart Field in Big Rapids. Kickoff between the two West
Michigan rivals is set for 7 p.m. (EDT) with a large crowd expected
for the contest. Michigan Tech will play its first home game
of the year by hosting rival Northern Michigan in the annual
Miner's Cup showdown at Sherman Field in Houghton, Mich. The
MTU-NMU game will begin at 1 p.m. (EDT).
Series Information: MTU leads Ferris in the
all-time series' between the two teams by a 31-23-4 count heading
into the "Battle At The Ballpark". The Huskies own a current
six-game series' winning streak and beat FSU 21-7 last season
(10/4/08) at Sherman Field in Houghton, Mich.
THE BALLPARK:
About Fifth Third Ballpark: Fifth Third Ballpark,
which was originally known as Old Kent Park, opened in April of
1994 and has a total seating capacity of 10,071 in a variety of
formats, including box seats, luxury suites, deck/patio areas and
lawn/standing room locations. The ballpark is one of the only
professional baseball stadiums in the country to be constructed
strictly with private funds and without taxpayer dollars.
The Field Setup: A seating diagram has been
developed for those planning to attend the contest. The field
will run from the third base line to right field. FSU
students will sit behind the endzone along the third base line with
general public seats running down the first base line.
Michigan Tech fans, marching bands and rocket youth football
players will occupy the space behind home plate. The
Whitecaps' press box facilities will be utilized for media behind
the home plate area as well. The complete diagram can be
found online at this link: http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/ballpark/information/seatingdiagram
The Stadium Setting: While Fifth Third Ballpark is
primarily used for minor league baseball games, the venue has
played host to a multitude of other events in recent years,
including concerts, high school and college baseball games along
with carnivals. The Ferris-Michigan Tech game will be the second
college football game to be played at Fifth Third Ballpark
following the "Fall Classic" in 2007 when Grand Valley State
defeated Wayne State in another GLIAC matchup. The ballpark also
hosted two high school football games in 2008.
One Of Three At Fifth Third: The "Battle At The
Ballpark" is one of three football games currently scheduled over a
three-week period this fall at Fifth Third Ballpark. In
addition to the FSU-MTU game, a pair of high school games are also
on tap and will follow with Forest Hills Northern facing
Coopersville on Oct. 9 and Grand Rapids Catholic Central squaring
off with Caledonia on Oct. 16.
PREGAME
ACTIVITIES:
Tailgate Information: Tailgating for the "Battle
At The Ballpark" will start at 4 p.m. (ET) on game day with the
gates to the ballpark opening at 5 p.m. (ET). Two bands
will play outside the venue as part of the pregame
activities, including Saraph and Sargent Avenue. The
Sargent Avenue Band features former Bulldog football player Jordan
Moore. A "Cornhole" Tournament (popular bean bag toss game)
will also take place.
Health Fair To Take Place: A health fair
will be part of the pregame activities surrounding the "Battle
At The Ballpark" and take place near the South gates to the
stadium. The FSU schools of Pharmacy and Optometry in
addition to the nursing and dental hygiene programs along with
the Birkam Health Center will be participating in the free health
screenings. The health fair will feature informational tables
for those interested in a variety of medical areas and include
screenings for things such as glaucoma, blood pressure, pulse, BMI,
blood glucose, lipids, hemoglobin A1c and oral/dental.
Event Hotel Information: The Comfort Suites®
Grand Rapids North will be the official "event hotel" for the
"Battle At The Ballpark" and is easily accessible from U.S. Highway
131 across the street from Fifth Third Ballpark for those needing
accommodations for the game in Comstock Park. Please
call (616) 785-7899 for more information and
reservations. Fans will need to reference the "Battle At The
Ballpark" rate to receive the hotel's special rate for the
game.
Busing: Buses will be available to transport FSU
students to Fifth Third Ballpark. The buses will leave from
Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids on a first-come, first-serve basis
starting at 3:30 p.m. (ET) on game day.
MORE INFORMATION:
Visit The "Battle At The Ballpark"
Website: Complete information on the game and the
activities surrounding the "Battle At The Ballpark" can be found
online. Please visit the new FSU Athletics Website at www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com and click on the "Battle
At The Ballpark" icon (lower left-hand side).