Andrews Field improving to prep for Whiskey Jacks

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This article was published 18/05/2019 (2317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Andrews Field will look a lot different when the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks host their Expedition League home opener on May 28.

The stadium is undergoing upgrades to improve the fan experience for the baseball team’s first season, including an added in party deck section with drinks and all you can eat food.

“It’s more of a social area,” general manager Ray Walker said of the party deck. “It will be a great environment to take in a baseball game for sure.”

The Whiskey Jacks are the first Canadian team in the Expedition League, a collegiate baseball league made up of nine other squads from across the United States.

The free standing party deck with a crushed rock base will be located near the outfield on the first-base line. To make room for it, bleachers were removed.

There will be space for fans to stand and chat while taking in the game, and high-top tables available to watch the action from a more relaxed vantage point.

They’ve also added in a VIP section, geared towards businesses for entertaining their staff or clients. That section is located down the third base line. Although some bleachers were removed there as well to make room for that area, they’ve left in one set of bleachers by left field.

“It’s right near the visitor’s bullpen so I’m sure the bleacher creatures will give the pitchers a real hard time, it will be a lot of fun,” Walker said.

Tickets for both special sections are being sold in groups of 20.

They’ve also made some adjustments to the backstop fences, which will improve the view for fans. There are no more wooden planks going through the fence line: Now it’s all chain-link.

“You’ll be able to see much better. There’s no wood obstructions to see to the home plate area, and that has helped greatly,” Walker said.

Another change they’ve made is to re-number the seats around the stadium. The numbers were there since the stadium opened and were either peeling off or had faded away. The city came in a couple of days ago to re-number them so that fans won’t get lost trying to find their seat, and the work is expected to be completed shortly.

In the future, they may look at adding backs to the bench seating that currently exists in the park, but right now their main focus is getting everything ready to go for opening day, including adding on fresh coats of paint in the seating area.

“We’re trying to make the park look as attractive as it did when it opened,” Walker said.

They’ll have family-friendly entertainment planned throughout the season, with a supervised kids zone located on the south east side of the field that will be set up with bouncy castles, face painting and possibly a whiffle-ball hitting station. Kids will also have the opportunity to run the bases after the game.

The Whiskey Jacks will host between-inning activities, including Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act — a performer who balances items on his face, including ladders and wheelbarrows — and a dog show coming in during the season. They will also have various theme nights throughout the season, including a potential ’90s or ’80s themed night, and fireworks throughout the season. On Canada Day, the team will wear special jerseys that will be available for auction afterwards, and they will host a couple of concerts.

“People want to have fun, and we provide that for them,” team president Steve Wagner said. “I’ve told people for years, it’s non-stop fun. You want to have fun, come to the ballpark.”

The excitement Wagner has for the upcoming season is a contagious atmosphere to be in, Walker said.

“His energy has played into my energy, which is playing into the telephone calls that I make into the business community,” Walker said. “Everybody is ready and willing and able to support this baseball team.”

There will be traditional food options available at the stadium, with hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and smokey dogs.

There will also be poutine.

“We’re in Canada for crying out loud, we have to have poutine,” said Wagner, who’s from the United States.

There’s also a unique food option in the works. Wagner also hopes to create something similar to what they serve at the stadium of one of the rival teams in South Dakota. It’s called “The Squatch Dog” there, an all-beef hotdog with bacon, pulled pork and a melted cheese sauce.

In addition to staple beers, their canteens will be serving some unique craft brews.

Wheat City begins the season on the road on May 24 when it visits the Souris Valley Sabre Dogs, before its home opener against the same team four days later.

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