"Battle At The Ballpark" Weekly: Issue #5
Editor's Note: This is the fifith and final weekly preview
installment leading up to the "Battle At The Ballpark" on Saturday,
Oct. 3, at Fifth Third Ballpark.
Game This Saturday: 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.
Series Information: Ferris and Michigan Tech will
square off for the 59th time in series' history. 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.
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!
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. More information on
ticket sales can also be obtained by calling the FSU Athletics
Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cheer Clinic: The FSU Cheerleading Team will hold
a clinic for middle school students in conjunction with the "Battle
At The Ballpark". The clinic, which is open to all middle school
students ages 11-13, will run from 4 p.m. (ET) to 6 p.m. (ET). The
$25 cost for the clinic includes a t-shirt to wear during the game
and those attending the clinic will be able to cheer with the FSU
Cheerleading Team during the third quarter of the football game.
For more info, please contact FSU head coach Stacy Smith by email
at stacyreneesmith@netzero.net.
Army Virtual Station: The U.S. Army will have a
special virtual station on hand for fans as part of the pregame
activities. The virtual station will be located inside a
semi-truck wrapped in Army logos and provides an insider's look
into being an American soldier. Those interested will be
allowed to test simulated state of the art weapons that are
currenly deployed worldwide.
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.
OTHER INFORMATION:
National Anthem: A group of 20 Big Rapids Middle
School Choir Students have been selected to attend and will perform
the national anthem prior to the game's kickoff at the "Battle At
The Ballpark".
MTU Pep Band: The infamous Michigan Tech Pep Band
plans to bring 100 to 150 members and be part of the halftime
events at the "Battle At The Ballpark". The Huskies Pep Band,
which bills itself as "The Cream of the Keweenaw, The Pride of
Pastyland, The Second Best Feeling in the World," is known for its
often irreverent cheers and taunts as well as unique uniforms
consisting of Black and Gold striped bib overalls and creative
hats.
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.
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.
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.
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).