
_\*This trip occurred on April 16, 2026. I’ve been to this stadium AND seen this team before, but since I’ve never talked about either yet, I’ve indicated this situation with this “New to Blog” badge. I don't think I’ll use it that often, but I can almost guarantee that this is NOT the only time I'll use it._

Oh, the Somerset Patriots.

I truly do not know how to feel about them.

On the one hand, they've been the closest baseball team to me since I moved to New Jersey in 2001. They were established a few years before that (1998) as a founding member of the Atlantic League, and under the leadership of long time manager Sparky Lyle (who managed the team from their founding all the way to 2012), won five Atlantic League titles (then added a sixth in 2015).

As a long time independent baseball "darling", I remember going to a game sometime after the Freddie Bynum era in Baltimore[^1], visiting a "Somerset Day" event which featured an "old timey baseball" exhibition game (or something like that), and then visiting the team store to collect their Atlantic League flexfit hats when they became an affiliated MiLB team and largely did away with flexfits for fitted hats.

On the other hand...remember when I said they became an affiliated MiLB team? Well, they’re affiliated with...the Yankees. This was probably one of the more controversial moves in the 2020 realignment, as they took the place of the [Trenton Thunder](2025-08-15_trethunder)[^2] - a team who were viewed as one of the better markets in MiLB (at least in terms of fan support). There's a TON of factors that go into what happened, but for better or worse, I think one of the main motivations for the move was one of the main motivations for the 2020 realignment: keep prospects (and rehab assignments) closer to the major league team[^3].

Depending on how you view the whole situation, then the team’s time as a Yankee affiliate will either please or upset you: they’ve become one of the Eastern League’s higher drawing teams (being pretty much consistently fifth since joining the league), and only missed the playoffs once (in 2021 - when there were no Minor League playoffs). In addition, the team won the Eastern League in 2022 - though it should be noted that Minor League Baseball playoffs are viewed as more of an obligation than a reward, so make of that what you may.

![An image of action during a Somerset Patriots game at TD Bank Ballpark](/images/2026/0416-somerset.jpeg)

Honestly, I feel like this stadium is kinda...run of the mill. It opened with the team’s debut in 1998 and is in suburban Bridgewater, New Jersey - flanked by a shopping center across the street and New Jersey Transit’s Raritan Valley Line just past the outfield (the stadium shares parking with the RVL’s Bridgewater station). There’s not a ton of interesting things around for pre/post game near the stadium (though in fairness this is true of a lot of the Minor League stadiums I've been to on this blog), but Bridgewater Commons is a short drive away if you want to check it out.

In many ways, this stadium actually rather similar to Trenton Thunder Ballpark: a "split seating bowl" with the main concourse at the top and a walkway separating upper and lower sections midway down towards the field, but here, the concourse is partially at “street level” as opposed to the whole thing being elevated (or it’s just due to the whole stadium being built on an incline). There's a "Wall of Fame" in left, but for whatever reason, it seems that the team is more or less uninterested in their Atlantic League heritage, as the only mentions of it I could find were the championship flags in the outfield.

![An image of a walkway in the seating bowl of TD Bank Ballpark](/images/2026/0416-middle.jpeg)

<figcaption>For those who want/need a visual explanation of the "middle walkway", I've included this photo. The main concourse is above the sections on the left, and the field is below the sections on the right.</figcaption>

There were MULTIPLE times I considered coming here in 2025: trying to see the Portland Sea Dogs, trying to get a “free” jersey (which I couldn't do because of another commitment and Jazz Chisholm Jr.), a thought of a trip with friends - and with the exception of the last one, all of these ideas were BEFORE I started this blog. I felt heading into 2026 that if/when this game were to happen, it should be a friends trip - partially because one of them was actually a bat boy for the team at some point, and mentioned a lot of the things he had to do for the players for that job (including attempting to do their convenience store shopping as a teenager in a state where the minimum age for tobacco is 21).

However, after my recent trip to [the BlueClaws](2026-04-08_jsblueclaws2), I realized that I wanted to (re)visit this place for a game since it's been at least seven years since the last time I've been here for something other than the team store (even though, y'know, Yankees). Since we had a stretch of EXTREMELY warm weather for April, I figured that week would be good for a game, and then throw in an Anthony Volpe rehab assignment (he grew up in the area and went to high school about half an hour away) and I felt I'd try and spend an evening here (though the "friends trip" is VERY much still on the table for later in the year).

The game ended up being a bit of a wild one, but in the end, Somerset prevailed. Again, I'm not sure if I'm "happy" about that or not because Yankee affiliate, but it does help my personal "win-loss record" for this blog (which, after a REAL rough stretch in March, is now back over .500 for the year)[^4].

### MERCH

This stadium has probably one of the smaller team stores I've seen in the Eastern League. I feel like it worked well when the team was independent, but as they've become an affiliated team and added several alternate identities, their merchandise selections have outgrown the small space; it really feels like half the store is on the concourse now.

I've visited this store SEVERAL times outside of games (partially due to parking being free at these times), and each of the past few times I've been, they've left those merchandise racks on the concourse (it's covered by the suite level/press box, so the items are largely protected from the elements). I should note that this problem is not exclusive to Somerset; fellow Yankee affiliate [Hudson Valley](2025-08-12_hvrenegades) had racks outside their store during the game I went to last year (and inside it when I visited before the game - which made it hard to navigate).

I think I've mentioned on this blog that I'm not super into MiLB alternate identities. However, the Patriots have one of the best alt identities in all of Minor League Baseball: the Jersey Diners. Along with the [Manchester Chicken Tenders](2026-04-06_nhfishercats), this is one of the few alt identities that I actually have a hat for. I don't have the jersey, and I thought about getting it at this game, but the jersey is...kinda weird in a not-so-good way IMO. I should also mention MiLB's "Copa de la Diversión", wherein teams adopt special Spanish alternate identities, because this year, the hats for it feature special designs on the bill, which I think are actually very neat (I almost got the BlueClaws Copa hat when I was there last time).

The Patriots also have a special alternate identity for this season (as it's the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence): the Somerset Semiquincentennials (try saying and/or typing THAT five times fast). This one features a jersey which may be a record setter for "most letters on the front of a baseball jersey" (and may have influence on the future of this blog...)

## \-\-\-

And yes, this means that just like the Phillies (whose [Eastern League affiliate](2025-08-24_rdgfightinphils), coincidentally, were the opponent for this game
), I’ve visited three of the Yankees' four MiLB affiliates. Don't expect to see the fourth one on this blog anytime soon however - they're in Florida, and I have no plans of traveling down there...

Also, inasmuch as I (think I) prefer the Mets and Red Sox, most of their affiliates are WAY TOO FAR for visits - I'm not sure if/when I'd ever want to visit Syracuse, Binghamton, Greenville, SC, or Salem, VA (or, once again, Florida...).[^5]

---

[^1]: My memory of this game is SUPER hazy, but I want to say it was against the Sugar Land Skeeters - another former Atlantic League team that is now affiliated (they're the Houston Astros' AAA affiliate).

[^2]: The Thunder just got picked up by Diamond Baseball Holdings (i.e. the company that owns almost half the minor leagues now), and word on the street is that their return to affiliated ball may be coming soon: people around the Eastern League believe they're going to swap places with a team that was supposed to be replaced in the league by the [Brooklyn Cyclones](2025-08-09_bkncyclones) in 2020 before local politicians stepped in...

[^3]: And based on the amount of Mets fans I know from the area, I’m wondering if the Yankees are trying to cut into that base as well...

[^4]: Every team I visited in March lost with the semi-exception of the [FPHL game](2026-03-22_fphl_mennen) - a game I'm not sure how to count in my W-L calculations as the "away team" won despite the fact that they were the ones more or less running the whole thing.

[^5]: Those who know the Minors may realize which cities I've left out of this list. One of those I went to back in 2022, and the other is on my radar for later this year.

A former Indie darling that aligned with...

Somerset Patriots (Eastern League) @ TD Bank Ballpark (Bridgewater, NJ)


_\*This trip occurred on April 11, 2026._

At the end of [my original post on the Philadelphia Wings](2025-08-27_phiwings), I wrote this:

> _"While I did enjoy the box lacrosse experience, there is the sad reality that these two Wings games may be the only NLL games I see live for a while: the Wings are rumored to be moving out soon (again), as there are questions involving ownership (who also own the Philadelphia Flyers and the arena) and their desire to keep the team running. Unfortunately, what would have been the next "closest" team (in Albany, NY) just moved to Canada, so I'm pretty sure there's going to be nothing closer than Rochester, NY soon (without crossing the border)..."_

Thankfully, however, that won’t be completely true because

## THIS is the last Wings game I'll get to go to!

First, let me clarify why I say that.

I alluded to it in the original post, but the city of Philadelphia is building a new arena for the Flyers and 76ers. As I understand it, this is basically a "peace gesture" to the Sixers, who wanted to build a new arena downtown that was highly controversial, as it would be disruptive to Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood (similar to what happened in Washington DC with their current indoor arena).

As part of this new arena construction, the building will be owned by both the Flyers’ and the Sixers’ ownership groups - unlike the current arena, which is wholly owned by Comcast (who also own the Flyers and Wings). I believe it is HERE where one issue with the Wings arises: the city is getting a WNBA team with the arena, and my guess is that one of the owners (and or the arena’s operator, which will be third party) does not see four teams in one building working out very well - even if the WNBA’s schedule is at a different time than the other three. With the NLL far and away the least popular of the four leagues (at least in the United States), it looks like someone sees the Wings as the odd man out.

In addition, the NLL isn't exactly a big money maker, and despite being owned by the same company as the arena, the Wings probably didn't make that much money (assuming they weren't simply a loss leader for Comcast). Of course, it also didn't help that the product ON the field/floor wasn't great either: they've been languishing for a few years now, and in case you forgot: both games I went to last year were part of a LONG losing streak that saw the team's decent start evaporate into a(nother) lost season.

Due to these factors, uncertainty about the team's long term future has hanging in the air for a while, and with that uncertainty, I felt that a return to Wells Fargo Center to see the Wings again was in order. Unfortunately, I was unable to make said return...because the Wells Fargo Center was renamed last fall to Xfinity Mobile Arena. Of course, the building is still there as well as the team (for now), so I figured if I wanted to see the NLL again, I'd have to do it soon (similar to the [Bridgeport Islanders](2026-01-12_bptislanders), who recently announced that their move to Canada IS happening)[^1].

My original plan was to go to the home opener back in December against the Colorado Mammoth (who I saw beat the Wings back in March 2025), as it was the only game this season with a Saturday 1 PM start time (THE key factor in which games I choose to go to). However, I had completely forgotten that I had a Christmas party planned for that evening, and between that and a few other things[^2], I opted to try and choose another game.

The team's other afternoon games were all on Sundays, but most of them were 3 PM starts - something I could live with, but wasn't super happy about. After pivoting away from the December game, my intention was to see the Wings on February 22, but then I learned about [Spice City FC](2026-03-09_spicecityfc) and decided to check them out on that date, so I moved the Wings to March 8. However, the "Blizzard of 2026" ended up ending any plans I had for that day, and with Spice City's only remaining home dates being March 8 and, coincidentally, this weekend, I didn't want to wait for them, so I saw Spice City on March 8th instead. I shifted the Wings to March 29 against the Toronto Rock (partially due to it being a 1 PM game), but various schedule issues (which aren't really exciting enough for me to discuss here) ended up making me decide not to go (this is part of why I ended up [at Rutgers](2026-03-29_rutgers_batandball))[^3].

**BUT THEN**...On the morning of March 30, 2026...

...the Wings announced they were ceasing operations "under the Comcast Spectacor portfolio" after this season. What that means going forward isn't 100% certain, but I'll talk about that later, because after I read their announcement, I decided to go and see a team say farewell to its city and fans (despite it being a 7 PM game an hour and a half away), and I think we should get into that first.

## The End of the Road

![A photo of the opening faceoff of a box lacrosse game](/images/2026/0411-faceoff.jpeg)

As I alluded to earlier, the Wings haven't exactly been great in recent years, and this year is no exception (again, I saw them twice during a long losing streak last year). This year, the team sold HARD at the NLL's trade deadline - shipping off some of their more well-known players for what essentially boil down into futures (which kinda feels like the pre-Sacramento Oakland Athletics). They've also only won two games at home this season (and four games overall), but those two home wins were the two games I was most likely to see (i.e. the two 1 PM games).

Not much has changed here since my last visit just over a year ago, which makes sense with a new building on the way. However, one thing I forgot to mention about the arena during my last visit: from what I can glean, the team store is not open outside of events for ANY of its teams. I know that the store at Citizens Bank Park (home of the Phillies) has non-game hours (as I [visited once](bananaball_bospt5)), and I THINK that Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Eagles) does too (but am not certain), so bear that in mind (especially if you're looking for the last few Wings things - yes that was intentional). I'm not sure if this is an exception or a norm, as I've had weirdly mixed experiences with trying to check out team stores outside of events[^4].

Speaking of merch, I received an email a few days before the game indicating some CRAZY discounts on select items. As it turns out, those discounts ended up causing MERCH MADNESS - I arrived a bit over an hour before the game, and the line to pay was OUT THE DOOR. It also made trying to find items hard due to the sheer amount of people browsing (and the line), but I managed to snag what may have been the last jersey left with a sewn-on front logo (for only a quarter of the original price). Heck, the check out line was still long when I checked out the store midway through the first quarter - and most of the adult items were gone by then!

![A photo of a box lacrosse game from the upper deck of the arena](/images/2026/0411-upperdeck.jpeg)

<figcaption>This image features the video they played as the team entered for the second half - connecting the past team and this one, which was cool</figcaption>

Demand for tickets was so great that the team did something they hadn't done in my time following them: open part of the upper deck. I ended up taking the opportunity to check out part of the upper concourse, and while it wasn't exactly "special" (outside of a reminder that the 76ers are a thing here), it was MUCH wider than [Brooklyn's](2026-02-08_bknets).

The game itself was more or less "run of the mill" for box lacrosse - though it did feature something I had never seen before in person: a Wings WIN[^5]. After the game, however, is when things got interesting.

The team and its fans kinda lingered around for a bit after the game appreciating one another. A "LET'S GO WINGS" chant broke out at one point, and the team threw giveaways into the crowd then took a final team photo. There was also apparently a "postgame party" at a nearby establishment, but I couldn't go since I live an hour and a half away (and had also taken the subway from downtown as the arena lots were too much for me).

![An image](/images/2026/0411-finalphoto.jpeg)

So that's the story of the final Philadelphia Wings home game. However, that leaves a very BIG question left to be answered:

## What happens next?

First, I should note that this game is TECHNICALLY not the end for the Wings, as they have one more game left to play. However, said game is in Vancouver and starts at 10 PM Eastern time, so it's hard to imagine too many fans tuning in (especially ones with young children). What happens after that game, however, is unknown.

Some fans are clamoring for local businesspersons to try and keep the team in Philly, but I feel like there's a big obstacle: Comcast. I mentioned that someone didn't see the Wings fitting in once the new arena was built, and apparently...that someone may have been Comcast themselves. With that in mind, it's difficult to imagine too many local groups are willing to pay rent to someone who thinks your very existence is a burden (and I don't expect the current arena to stay up like the ol' Spectrum did for a while).

The NLL has said that they are seeking new ownership for the team, but the league's statement strongly implies that they're moving. From what I've read, however, it seems that the league would prefer the team stay somewhat close to Philadelphia (i.e. a "short" move). In that regard, two local cities have been suggested as potential new homes: [Allentown, PA](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms) (which is getting a MASL team next season) and Trenton, NJ (which is getting an ECHL team next season). I feel there are advantages and disadvantages to both, but either would keep the team close enough to decent parts of its current fanbase (and would make people like me look a bit silly for getting so sentimental about the team). However, neither city has a big enough image to convince some online commentators that either is a good idea, as revenue could still be an issue (not to mention the NLL's prior struggles with the New York area).

If that doesn't happen, then the other possibility - and one that's actually been rumored for a while (as alluded to the first time I wrote about the Wings) - is a move to somewhere in Canada (or Minnesota, but more likely Canada). Box lacrosse as a whole sees MUCH more support up north, and outside of select markets, the NLL has struggled in the United States[^6]. Therefore, moving the team to a market where there's more likely to be stronger support (i.e. tickets and merchandise sold) could be better for the team and league financially; the long standing rumor was Montreal, but Edmonton has apparently been keen on a return to the NLL since the Rush left for Saskatoon. On the other hand, however, the NLL markets itself as "the next Major League" - and it's hard to take that claim seriously with zero presence in the Northeastern United States (i.e. the biggest population center in North America) - especially since it's one of the few parts of the country where lacrosse is decently popular (even if that popularity is largely in field lacrosse).

There does, however, also exist the possibility that the team just folds with no replacement. This one's reported as being far and away the least likely scenario, but going back to the team's statement...they don't seem optimistic. As mentioned earlier, the Wings announced they were ceasing operations "under the Comcast Spectacor portfolio" - but also wished the players well "as they pursue new opportunities throughout the league". This implies that the players will end up getting dispersed, which would mean a dispersal draft - a result of the team folding. Again, this is the LEAST likely scenario because it's not a good look for the NLL (see: Panther City Lacrosse Club), but it can't be ruled out (especially since we don't know what prospective buyers are being told by Comcast).

In any case, this is probably it for the NLL in Philly for now (and possibly ever) - though it's good to know that unlike the [Winnipesaukee Muskrats](2026-04-11_wpsmuskrats), the team and its fans got a proper "final moment" together.

![An image of the jumbotron after the final Philadelphia Wings home game, featuring images of fans](/images/2026/0411-thankyou.jpeg)

---

[^1]: There's a similar situation going on a bit further up the Connecticut Turnpike - one I'm HOPING to get to this summer.

[^2]: Not including me getting sick a few days after said party

[^3]: I am trying to prioritize NEW teams/stadiums this year, so that's another reason I've been "putting off" going to another Wings game - heck, if the team hadn't made their announcement, this game likely wouldn't have happened.

[^4]: For example, in the South Atlantic League, the [Jersey Shore BlueClaws](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws) and [Brooklyn Cyclones](2025-08-09_bkncyclones) team stores are only open for games (I learned about the BlueClaws store the hard way), but the [Hudson Valley Renegades](2026-08-10_hvrenegades) have non-game hours for their team store.

[^5]: The game also featured something that I've seen before, however: the Wings getting BADLY outshot...

[^6]: Mind you, Philadelphia WAS one of those better markets for a while...


The Philadelphia Wings come to the End of the Road

Philadelphia Wings (National Lacrosse League) @ Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, PA)


_This is the story of one of my old baseball trips. The trip occurred BEFORE I started truly writing stuff about stadiums in earnest, and I don’t remember every single detail about it, but a few stand out to me for reasons you’ll see soon enough._

July 30, 2022.

As July turns into August, summer collegiate baseball begins to wind down. Many of the players have colleges to get back to, but there are still playoffs to be played and champions to be determined (which, unfortunately, has contributed to a decline in summer league participation; more on that later). Finding myself with nothing to do, and wanting to find SOMETHING, I look around at the schedule of the New England Collegiate Baseball League and find one game that piques my interest:

"Keene Swamp Bats vs. Winnipesaukee Muskrats"

After a quick Google Maps search to see just how far they are, I decided to make the trip up to Laconia, NH to watch this game - a drive of about two hours.

Laconia is part of the Lakes Region of New Hampshire which, like many places in Northern New England, is somewhat reliant on tourism as its main money maker - after all, one of its big attractions is its local arcade believed to be the biggest in the world.

The Muskrats themselves were founded in 1999 in Manchester, CT (just east of Hartford). They spent a little over a decade there, and in 2010, the team was "sold" and moved to the Lakes Region. Originally, they used Laconia as their geographic identifier, but changed it to Winnipesaukee in 2015 to better connect to the region as a whole (as Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest of the lakes). While it is fairly difficult to gauge the success of summer collegiate teams by regular season/postseason records for MANY reasons, the Muskrats...weren’t exactly major players in that department. They made the playoffs a total of ten times between their stints in Manchester and the Lakes region, but only won two playoff rounds - both in 2011, where they lost the finals to their in-state rivals in Keene (i.e. the aforementioned Swamp Bats).

Their home base was Robbie Mills Field: a small community field in a rather sprawling part of Laconia. Named after a young child who was tragically killed in an apparent bikejacking, it features "dugouts" which are, in essence, small sheds next to the infield plus a high wall in left field. This wall was "under construction" at the time; I forget what the plan was, but I believe it involved putting seats on top of it (a la the Green Monster at Fenway Park). There’s also a small parking lot on the first base side, but the team did NOT recommend parking there due to the possibility of foul balls damaging cars (something that ALMOST happened to me on Cape Cod once); instead, the team directed fans to park across the street in a large field.

Probably the most important part of the field is the building behind home plate. Like a lot of these smaller summer league fields around New England (for example: most of the Cape Cod Baseball League), it serves as the "everything building". On the upper level is the press box; if you walked near it during the game, you could hear broadcasters for both teams call the action. On the lower level, the building houses the concession stand and team store, but in a somewhat unique way: concessions are sold on the "back" side of the building (i.e. away from the field), and merchandise can be purchased on the other side of the building facing the field.

Most summer collegiate teams in New England don’t sell merchandise online due to how small their operations are, so games are often the only way to get items from these teams. However, due to various difficulties involving costs and shipping, some teams don’t order that much merchandise for fans, and thus selections are still limited at games - especially as the season wears on. Thankfully, despite it being the last home date of the season, the Muskrats still had a decent number of merchandise items available. I end up buying their standard home hat (though, to be honest, it’s not exactly "fashionable" as it features the team’s FULL NAME on the front), a "fashion hat" featuring the team’s muskrat logo, and a game used jersey featuring a "LACONIA" wordmark (reflecting how they were once the "Laconia Muskrats"). In addition, they allowed me to take a lanyard for free.

I don’t remember too much about the game (outside of giving a foul ball to a young child), but as I was about to head out for the day (partially because I decided to check out another game closer to Boston), I ended up running into a British man. We had a fifteen minute conversation about life in Laconia and the NECBL, and it was very clear that he was heavily involved with the team, as he discussed stories about things such as the awkward logistics for the team’s lone representative at the league’s All Star Game that year (which was held on Martha's Vineyard - a HIKE from just about everywhere).

However, the story doesn’t QUITE end here. Despite the Swamp Bats and Muskrats splitting a double header, there’s still a little bit of an unsettled business; I have forgotten the EXACT details of it, but there was a chance for either the Muskrats or some other team to make the NECBL postseason - potentially requiring a "makeup" game to be played. I went to Sanford, ME the next day to see the end of a game between the Swamp Bats and the Sanford Mainers (which was suspended from a few days earlier), and since the Mainers won that game, they clinched the playoff berth - thus rendering the makeup game between Winnipesaukee and the Upper Valley Nighthawks (from White River Junction, VT) irrelevant[^1].

Months later, when the NECBL released its 2023 schedule, I looked at it since I was planning to visit all 14 of its teams that summer (protip: don't - some of these teams are HIKES). However, when I counted up the teams, I realized that one was missing, so I went through the list of names, and I found that the Winnipesaukee Muskrats were no longer listed on the NECBL’s website.

The man I spent a good fifteen minutes talking to on that summer day was the husband of the team’s GM. After the 2022 season, she decided to step down from the role, and the team/league began the process of replacing her. However, in doing so, the league decided to conduct a review of the Muskrats organization (I believe this is standard protocol when a change like this happens); unfortunately, this review turned up something the league did not agree with: housing plans.

Most collegiate summer leagues require that the players live with families local to the team for the summer (the Cape Cod Baseball League and NECBL included). However, with the Lakes region being a popular tourist destination, many homeowners in the area seemingly prefer to use their space as vacation rentals (my guess is that the stipends provided by the NECBL don’t compare to what tourists are willing to pay). Thus, the Muskrats were forced to get creative with housing players - attempting a plan which I don’t remember the full details of. The plan was rejected by the NECBL, and without being able to come to any agreements...the Winnipesaukee Muskrats were no more.

As for a potential return of summer baseball to the Lakes...

There’s a report out that fewer players are joining these summer leagues as their college coaches don’t like sending them to the "uncontrolled environment" that is summer ball (read: more injury and/or transfer potential), so I do ponder what future these leagues have. In addition, most NECBL and Cape League teams are meant to be community assets, so their facilities are, for lack of a better term, not what most college players are used to (most especially the ones from high-end programs). The Cape League - which has long been touted as the best of the summer leagues - is struggling to deal with these issues; for example, it reduced its schedule to 40 games a few years ago, and seemingly has constant need for new host families (as teams put out calls for them EVERY year[^2]).

While the NECBL hasn’t gained or lost any teams since then, the Futures League has seen the [Brockton Rox](2025-08-20_brorox) "leave" and the Pittsfield Suns "go inactive" for SEVERAL years (due to their stadium needing wholescale redevelopment), but is also adding [Lowell](lelacheurpaprk) to its ranks. I doubt it’s likely, but if things continue to go south for summer ball, I can see a future where the NECBL and Futures League are forced to merge due to resources becoming incredibly sparse - likely costing several towns their teams.

As it turns out, my spontaneous decision was a "good" one: I was at the (second to) last Winnipesaukee Muskrats game ever. No one could have imagined that July 30, 2022 would be the last day of baseball in the Lakes region, but it was, and I fear that as the college baseball landscape shifts towards having players "stay safe" in the summer, more and more summer baseball teams will find survival incredibly challenging.

![A photo of a Winnipesaukee Muskrats game](/images/2026/robbiemillsfield.jpg)

<figcaption>I didn't think I had any photos for this post, but found this when I was going through my phone. If it looks kinda strange on the front page (where I have those photo banners), that's because it's cropped from an Instagram story.</figcaption>

---

I hope that you enjoyed this piece. It's quite different from most of what I post here, but I felt it was good for me to try and branch out to other forms of writing/content.

I've had this post ready to go for a while, but my original intention was to post this in July to match the date this game took place. However, I moved it up to compare/contrast the story of "a team that never said goodbye" to the story of [a team that did](2026-04-12_phiwings2).

---

[^1]: I did write a LITTLE bit about Sanford's stadium (as well as most other New England summer league stadiums); but long story short: it's actually kinda neat, and while it's not my FAVORITE NECBL venue, it's definitely one of the better ones IMO.

[^2]: An article I read said that the "revolving door" of players has scared host families away, as they don't enjoy having so many players come through their homes.


A story of a team lost to a cruel fate

Winnipesaukee Muskrats (New England Collegiate Baseball League) @ Robbie Mills Field (Laconia, NH)


_\*This trip occurred on April 7, 2026._

If you're a long time reader of this blog, you may remember that ShoreTown Ballpark was [the first stadium I ever posted about on this blog](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws) (and if you're not, you've just learned a small piece of "lore"). Thanks to that, I feel like there’s not much to say about the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (or the town they play in) that I haven’t already discussed when I came here last year (and given current events, I don't think a recap is a good idea).

However, that trip featured weather that was absolutely miserable for baseball and almost NO fans, so I figured I’d try to get out to the stadium on a day that wasn’t 40 degrees and damp. Of course, there’s no guarantee that another April game will actually feature better weather, so choosing to go to another game _in April_ is definitely a "choice" - especially since this day turned out to be cold as well (but at least it was dry).

This trip was also somewhat of a "last minute" decision, as in I decided that I would go to this game literally 24 hours before first pitch. A return to ShoreTown Ballpark was always on my radar, but the actual date was very much up in the air - my original thinking was that I would come here on a Saturday in April or May (i.e. before Saturday games move from 4 PM to 7 PM), but it turned out that none of those Saturdays worked with my schedule, so I ended up deciding to come to this game (despite being a weekday and a 6:30 start)[^1].

![An image of two baseball teams lined up prior to the start of a game](/images/2026/0407-openingday.jpeg)

Anyway, while this isn't the first time I've written about the same team/stadium combo more than once, it's the first time I'm doing a revisit in a different season. I'm still trying to figure out how to handle these "revisit posts" (as I'm sure this isn't the only time I'm going to revisit a place I've already discussed on this blog), but the most notable “new” thing for the BlueClaws this season is that they are celebrating 25 years of BlueClaws baseball! The combination of that plus the fact that I've never been to a Minor League Baseball home opener[^2] made me decide to come here on a somewhat surprisingly cold April night.

For those who forgot (and/or want a refresher), ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood, NJ opened with the team's debut in 2001. While it is very much "typical" for a Minor League Baseball stadium (especially as the BlueClaws have been A-level for their entire history), it leans into the "Jersey Shore" identity with a themed area in the outfield with special concession stands and carnival games. The park also features a concourse that wraps fully around the field (which not every minor league stadium has), and a full-service bar/restaurant area on the suite level which is open to all fans (which helps on cold days like today). I also mentioned last year that I couldn't find fried Oreos anywhere on the concourse. Well, that may have been either due to me being unobservant or the terrible weather, as there is in fact a stand that sells funnel cake and the aforementioned fried Oreos.

For the second time in four days, I watched a Minor League Baseball game where the visiting team was an affiliate of the New York Mets (I forgot to mention the opponent for the [Fisher Cats](2026-04-06_nhfishercats) game, but it was the Binghamton Rumble Ponies[^3]). While the result wasn't quite the same, it was very similar: the BlueClaws defeated the Brooklyn Cyclones 5-1, dropping the Cyclones (who, it should be noted, are the defending South Atlantic League champions) to 0-3 on the young season.

### MERCH

The other reason I chose to visit: the BlueClaws have a few new hats this season! Unfortunately, the ones I was interested in were sold out in my size when I checked online the night before this game, and were also not in stock at the game itself. While the aforementioned hats were available in flexfit versions, New Era made a pretty significant change to their flexfits this year, and I'm still trying to figure out if I like it or not, so I decided to pass on them (for now).

There were a few special items available for the team's 25th anniversary. One of them was a version of the team's home hat with a patch on the side, but between the fact that I already have a home hat (which I got last year) and the fact that the patch is simply glued on, I decided to pass on it - instead going for a lapel pin and a "mini 50Fifty" to use as a desk decoration. Sadly, the store didn't have any of the mascot or logo plush toys from last year (as I was interested in MAYBE getting one).

Also, I TECHNICALLY mentioned it in my original post, but last year, the BlueClaws ran a promotion where fans could trade in old logo merch for team store discounts. I don't know what the reason for this promo was, but it seems that not everyone feels the burning desire to throw out their old stuff for the present based on how many of the team's old jerseys I saw...

---

### ON DECK

I did say last time that I was planning on going to a game that should be VERY special next weekend, but I should note that this game ISN'T it.

That game is still yet to happen, but I have something a little different I want to post before it.

---

[^1]: I will say that ANOTHER return to ShoreTown is "scheduled" - but not to see the BlueClaws...(insert wink emoji here)

[^2]: I have been to a minor league hockey home opener before, as well as several home openers in summer baseball, but the summer ball home openers seem to be not as "pompous" from my experience.

[^3]: If you're a Rumble Ponies fan who enjoys affiliation, you may not like the rumors I learned about a few hours before this game...

Testing the idea of going down the shore in April...again

Jersey Shore BlueClaws 2026 Edition


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 10](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on April 4, 2026 - I chose to "delay" this post a day due to Easter._

_Before I continue, I feel like I should also note that TECHNICALLY, I've been here before - several times, in fact. However, since all of those visits were limited to just the team store, I think this should count towards the 26 new venues I'm hoping to visit this year. In addition, several venues I'm thinking about going to fall under the same criteria as well (including a few where I actually saw the "main arena"), so there's that I guess._

This story begins with the New Haven Ravens, who were founded in 1994 and based in New Haven, CT. The Ravens were actually somewhat successful - winning an Eastern League championship in 2000. However, they didn’t have their own stadium to call home; instead, they played at Yale’s baseball stadium.

A decade after their founding (in 2004), the team was sold and then subsequently moved to Manchester, NH, where they rebranded as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. They spent their first season at an old stadium in a fairly residential part of Manchester before moving downtown in 2005 to what is now (Northeast) Delta Dental Stadium - not to be confused with the recently (2024) renamed Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field in Portland, ME (the home of an Eastern League rival) or the even more recently (2025) renamed Delta Dental Diamond at Centennial Field in Burlington, VT (home of a former Minor League team who are now in a summer league).

The team has been fairly successful on the field - they won a title in that first year in Manchester (i.e. in the temporary stadium), and have added two more since then. Their most recent title - won in 2018 - featured the trio of of Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.; the latter two would go on to play for the Jays in the 2024 World Series. However, when researching their attendance numbers for this post, I found that they were...kinda okay at best. A large part of this can probably be attributed to the fact that ever since they moved to Manchester (which actually makes them the closest Eastern League team to Boston), they’ve been the Double-A affiliate of...the Toronto Blue Jays. Therefore, it is much harder for them to connect with local fans, as any prospects who end up making it to Toronto will be playing AGAINST the Boston Red Sox should they end up playing at Fenway Park (as opposed to what happens with Sea Dogs players)[^1].

Truth be told: I probably should have seen a Fisher Cats game already. It’s a SHADE over an hour from where I was living when I was in Massachusetts, and I’d driven MUCH FARTHER for baseball during that time (including to places like Sanford, ME, Keene, NH, and even a two-and-a-half hour trip to [Danbury](2026-02-15_dbyhattricks) one time). However...I never made the trip during my time in Boston. Can’t really tell you why I never did (outside of not wanting to pay for parking, which is a DUMB excuse), but with me trying to get to 26 stadiums I've never been to this year, it felt like it was FINALLY time for a game (even if I've _technically_ been here before).

![A photo of Delta Dental Stadium taken from the first row behind home plate](/images/2026/0404-deltadentalstadium.jpeg)

Similar to [Coca Cola Park](2025-08-11_lhvironpigs) in Allentown, the main gate is in the outfield (here it's in left)[^2], while most of the seats are around the infield. This may not seem like that big a detail, but I counted the stadiums I've been to on this blog, and this is only the second "not Cape League" stadium with its main entrance in the outfield (as opposed to home plate/infield). Also, much like the Fisher Cats' parent team, there's a hotel in the outfield - I couldn't find any information on any special rules/rates for the field-facing rooms, but I assume they have the same "please don't be horny on main" rules the Jays had to implement after MULTIPLE incidents. Said hotel also features a restaurant that faces the field, but again, I could not find information on how much it would cost to sit there during the game (also I wanted to see the actual stadium up close).

If you're inside the stadium, there's a bar and area shortly after you enter (in left field). Truth be told, however...it's really the only "unique" feature of the stadium: the rest is very much "standard" minor league fare (though one of the concession stands was closed for this game). However, if you're in the bar area (or the hotel) and can't really see the center field scoreboard, there are small scoreboards at either end of the suite level "deck" that display the pertinent information. (kinda similar to how the [Chatham Anglers](2025-08-17_chaanglers) have one on their press box for fans in the outfield).

One thing that made this game actually feasible despite being on the day before Easter: a 1 PM start time. Because we typically visit our Massachusetts relatives for Easter, I was in the area for this game, and thanks to the early start (1 PM - kinda unusual for a Saturday game), I was able to squeeze this game in before my typical "night before Easter" activities. Despite being a bit more expensive (the lowest ticket price is ~$15, but parking for most fans will add ten bucks), I decided to "treat myself" and bought a ticket RIGHT BEHIND home plate in the FIRST ROW (the photo above should give a somewhat decent idea of what the view was like - I made sure to get a clean shot through the foul ball netting).

There's also not that much to say about the game itself - the Fisher Cats won 2-1, and the game winning run was scored on a home run while I was in the bathroom (because of course).

### MERCH

The team store is right as you enter the main gates, with two entrances straddling the physical gates themselves. Therefore, it’s "off" the concourse and has no views to/from the field.

As mentioned in the header, I’ve been to the team store here SEVERAL times to scout the team’s merchandise. Part of that was the fact that the team’s online hat selection, for a long time, was largely just a bunch of 59Fiftys (59Fifties?) and no flexfit hats. However, I’ve also bought several jerseys from the team - including a few old game worn jerseys (something I’ve rarely found in affiliated Minor League Baseball), plus I ended up getting a novelty cowboy hat for an event a friend was running.

If you don't want to make the trek out/down to the team store during the game, there's a second merchandise stand on the concourse itself. While the selection of items here is pretty much the same as the main store, they did have one hat that the main store didn't have (a "hockey night" hat[^3]).

One other thing I should mention here: The Manchester Chicken Tenders! Minor League Baseball teams are known for their alternate identities, and while I tend to not go for those as I feel they're excessive, the Chicken Tenders are one of my more favorite identities - based on Manchester supposedly being the birthplace of the chicken tender back in 1973. I own a Manchester Chicken Tenders jersey, and it is one of FEW alt identity jerseys I have - partially as alt jerseys are usually sublimated (in fact, all but one of the jerseys in the store were sublimated).

---

[^1]: The Hartford Yard Goats, meanwhile, have been top three in Eastern League attendance since they opened their current stadium despite (or because) their MLB affiliate is...Colorado. BTW, I'm thinking about a trip to their stadium as I've never seen a game there, but there's a chance the Yard Goats won't be home for it...

[^2]: There is a second gate on the right field side, but given that most of the parking feeds into the main gate, I doubt many fans use it to enter.

[^3]: RIP Manchester Monarchs


A trip that should've happened at least four years ago

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Eastern League) @ Delta Dental Stadium (Manchester, NH)


_\*This trip occurred on March 28, 2026._

_I've also made a few visual updates to the blog, which were a bit of a struggle to implement in a way that's legible, but I do think it adds character._

I've gone over Rutgers and its various athletic programs MULTIPLE times in the past, but for those who don't know: Rutgers is...not exactly the "major sporting power" it seems to think it is (and I say this as an alumnus). We've got a football team that the rest of the Big Ten poaches easy wins from, a middling men's basketball team (even if they did [some cool stuff when I saw them](2025-12-21_rubasketball2#mens)), a women's basketball team that largely scrapes by against seemingly "[lesser](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens) [competition](2025-12-21_rubasketball2#womens)" (then gets waxed by [an actually decent team](2025-12-11_princetonbasketball))[^1], and also other things like a [lacrosse team](2025-08-26_rulacrosse_mens) (which I THINK is supposed to be good but got blown out the day I saw them).

I'll be honest: this post was originally supposed to be about just baseball. I was originally considering going to something else today, but said trip is two an a half hours one way, and with gas prices where they are now (plus the game being in a place that is...not so great), I didn't think it was worth it (though I might try to go later this year). With nothing else going on today, I figured I'd take a look at the baseball team's schedule to see if they were home (as I had been thinking about a visit), and sure enough, they were!

However, when I got to the stadium, I found out that the softball team was also home, and had a game at the EXACT SAME TIME as the baseball team. Instead of deciding to go to one game or another, I thought

# WHY NOT BOTH?

And ended up "alternating" between baseball and softball (which necessitated a MASSIVE rewrite of this post BTW). Since the two stadiums are separate venues for different sports, BOTH are going onto my _26 in 26_ list as I've never been to either venue!

The two stadiums are basically right next to each other, and are VERY similar - both having received new renovations that just opened this year (though it seems like a lot of construction is still going on in the area). I'll go over the baseball team/stadium first, since that's the game that was intended for this post.

<div id="baseball" />

## Rutgers Scarlet Knights Baseball (Big Ten) @ Bainton Field (Piscataway, NJ)

### _[26 IN 26 STOP 8](26in26list)_

![An image of a pitch being thrown at a Rutgers baseball game](/images/2026/0328-rubaseball.jpeg)

Unlike the sports I mentioned at the beginning of this post, college baseball doesn't seem to be that big a thing in the Northeast (though you could argue football isn't either, and in some respects, just college sports in general outside of Hockey East[^2]). Yes, there are several relatively major schools that have baseball teams including Rutgers (in case you couldn't tell), but none of them really seem to pay that much attention to the sport, most of them have fairly small stadiums (save for perhaps [UMass Lowell](lelacheurpark) thanks to the Spinners), and admission to games is usually free (Rutgers included). Case in point: [the last college baseball game I went to](2025-08-25_setonhallbaseball) was on a multipurpose field shared with a soccer team.

I can't really say much about Rutgers baseball, but they went a while without a true head coach after being founded, they do have a College World Series appearance (WAY back in 1950[^3]), one of their alumni is Todd Frazier (who had a decent MLB career), and the first time I actually heard about the existence of the program was because several of their players were in the [Cape Cod Baseball League](ccbl_overview). However, one thing the baseball program here has that the aforementioned Seton Hall doesn't: a purpose built baseball stadium.

According to the university, Bainton Field was opened in 2007. I couldn't find any definitive answers on where the team played prior to Bainton being opened, but Wikipedia seems to indicate that they played on the same site (but with less amenities), and that "Bainton Field" was the result of a donation for the installation of a turf field (and, in typical college fashion, is named for the donor). What's more interesting for my visit, however, is an update that debuted _this year_, which includes new seats (i.e. chairback seats behind home plate) and press areas. Since this is my first visit, I can't exactly tell you what the place was like prior to this year, but I did find an image that indicated that the stands used to be simple metal bleachers, and a press area was at field level. In all honesty, though...there's really not much else to discuss about the place (save for the presence of a few outfield bleachers in left).

In some ways, this isn't the first time I've seen the stadium, as it's decently close to the basketball arena, but it's the first time I've actually seen it up close. It does TECHNICALLY have its own parking lot, but it's a gravel lot that's super small, so one of the major reasons this trip got delayed to now was due to me being unable to assess whether or not parking was free (for weekday games - it was free for today).

I should also mention that the school is working with Middlesex County on a more substantial stadium a few miles away in Edison, NJ on the campus of Middlesex (County) College; supposedly, the team will split games between the two stadia, but how that will play out is, obviously, yet to be seen (I'm also not fully sure of when it's going to open). Now, for the other stadium:

<div id="softball" />

## Rutgers Scarlet Knights Softball (Big Ten) @ Rutgers Softball Field (Piscataway, NJ)

### _[26 IN 26 STOP 9](26in26list)_

![An image of a pitch being thrown at a Rutgers softball game](/images/2026/0328-rusoftball.jpeg)

I feel like softball has a bit of a "rap" as "the women's equivalent to baseball" in the United States - though in fairness, this is the first time I've attended a softball game, and the only reason I did was because it was conveniently right next to the baseball game. While it is true that NCAA (and professional) softball is a women's sport, there's actually a bit more to softball than "baseball on a smaller field and with two less innings". 

First, the pitcher's mound is not raised in softball, making the field completely flat. In addition, pitches are exclusively thrown underhand (as opposed to overhand or sidearm in baseball). Finally, there seems to be MUCH DIFFERENT rules for substitution; for example, there's something called a "Flex" which is a player which is a purely defensive as well as a role known as the "Designated Player" acts very similar to the Designated Hitter in baseball (except they bat in place of the Flex and NOT necessarily the pitcher). One thing I do find somewhat strange: despite being largely a women's sport, the fielders named for the bases are still referred to as "basemen" (i.e. first baseman, second baseman, and third baseman) - as opposed to other sports such as hockey, where the "linesmen" become "linepersons" in women's hockey[^4].

Anyway, Rutgers started its softball team in 1975 (around the same time as the women's basketball program FWIW), and have been to (what I THINK is) the Women's College World Series (i.e. the softball version of college baseball's championship) twice[^5]. Also, Wikipedia indicates that they spent their first four years of existence without an official head coach (like the baseball team).

Unlike the baseball team, their field is still known as simply the "Rutgers Softball Field", but like Bainton, it just received pretty massive renovations this year. These renovations redid the grandstand (which, like Bainton, now features individual chairback seats and bleachers), but also added lights to the field (which means that this season is the first time the softball team is capable of hosting night games). This field also features a small set of outfield bleachers, but here, they're in right - and also hard to access as it seems the only way to get to them is from the main road (which divides the two fields from the basketball arena).

Due to the smaller stand, the proportion of chairback seats to bleacher spots here seems higher than Bainton - though that may just be due to size. Also, access to the dugouts is via the same walkways used to get to the stands - though security officers are positioned to avoid any unwelcome visitors to the dugout. Speaking of the dugouts, the visiting dugout felt like a Japanese ōendan (fan section) - they had these elaborate chants that they were doing at various points during the game.

## \-\-\-

Bat and ball sports are interesting in that they are meant to be played every day. During this visit, I reflected on this idea, and it made me wonder why I keep track of who wins and who loses in these posts, and whether or not I should really be focusing on that when there are so many other things I could/should be talking about on this blog...

(Translation: Rutgers lost both games. One was a blowout, and the other game ended with the winning run being a two-out, last inning home run - I'll let you figure out which team suffered which fate)

### MERCH

Earlier, I mentioned that the schools here in the Northeast don't seem too interested in baseball. However, a few of the "bigger" ones DO have baseball hats/jerseys in their campus stores (which I've gotten in the past) - Rutgers being one of them[^6].

Here, there was a merch trailer in the dirt lot near the entrance to the fields. It did not have fitted baseball hats (though part of that may be due to Rutgers switching from Adidas to Nike recently), but there was a Nike replica baseball jersey. Sadly, it featured heat-pressed twill letters - something I absolutely HATE about [modern jerseys](2026-02-22_jerseyrules) - so I didn't even think about getting it (I did get a baseball and a softball - both featuring the Rutgers logo).

I also want to mention one other thing I saw on sale: stadium blankets! I realize that this is a thing that I've seen quite a bit in the past but never discussed, but a lot of teams around here sell blankets for fans to keep themselves warm during games, as sometimes it does get cold at night (or on days like today - it was in the 40s and SUPER windy).

---

As a side note, Princeton (which has been featured SEVERAL times on this blog) has its baseball and softball fields adjacent to each other as well, but I don't think I'll be getting down there for either sport this year. Their baseball field is neat in that the stands are built into a hill, but outside of that it doesn't seem like there's that much going on (and based on the soccer and hockey games I went to, merch is a massive question mark).

Also, I realize I named this post "bat and ball sports", but I doubt we're getting NCAA sponsored cricket anytime soon...

---

[^1]: BTW, don't ask what happened with the women's basketball team after the Winter Village...

[^2]: My thinking is that we try to care about college football because the rest of the country does (and in some places, it's bigger than the NFL), but no one here knows how to truly build a good program. Basketball is slightly different in that there are well-run top tier programs around here (see: the Big East), but because of just how dominant football is nationally, basketball is fading into the background (though the modern obsession with threes doesn't help). Also, exactly NONE of Hockey East in the NCAA tournament are left...

[^3]: To give an idea of how long ago that was, MLB still had the **Boston** Braves, **Philadelphia** Athletics, and **St. Louis Browns**.

[^4]: Yes, the more common plural is "linespepole", but that is a TERRIBLE word...

[^5]: The Women's College World Series has existed since 1969, but was run by another organization until 1982, when the NCAA took over. Rutgers' two WCWS appearances were prior to this takeover, so that's why I'm not sure how those are counted in NCAA records.

[^6]: The other schools I've gotten baseball hats/jerseys from are Boston College and UConn (multiple hats and one jersey from each school). Coincidentally, my decision to come here was made the day before they met in the [Hockey East tournament](2026-03-21_hechampionship2024).


Sportventures

The Final Flight (4/11/26)

The Last Day of Summer (7/30/22)

Opening Day Down the Shore

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (4/4/26)

Bat and Ball at Rutgers (3/28/26)