Billy Grant Field - Valdosta State

General Admission

History

Valdosta State began playing baseball in 1955, starting as a NAIA member. They joined NCAA D2 in 1979, winning their first NCAA National Championship that same year. Named after former head coach and Valdosta State hall of fame member Billy Grant, the field has been the home of Blazers Baseball since before 1979 and has gone through a few updates over the years.

Atmosphere

While fan support isn't huge, the fans that do come stay engaged in the game. All seating is general admission, and all the bleachers are have backs which is a welcome change from some other D2 stadiums. Many fans bring lawn chairs and line up along the third base line, and there are picnic tables out there as well for anyone who doesn't bring a chair but wants to sit there. If you're there for a day game and want as much shade as possible, I'd sit high in the bleachers close to the press box.

Concessions

There is one concession stand, and it mostly has your normal concession choices and Coke products. It is catered by a local BBQ restaurant, though, adding some pulled pork options. No outside food is allowed, but there's a few locally owned restaurants nearby if you want to grab a bite before or after.

Access

Valdosta State is pretty easily accessible from I-75 and is roughly halfway between Macon, GA and Gainesville, FL. There are a few Valdosta exits on the interstate, and basically all of them are roughly 10 minutes from campus. Plenty of hotels are close by as well. There's a parking lot directly next to the stadium which had plenty of parking while I was there, but I've heard that it fills up relatively fast if the softball team is playing at home on the same day.

Final Thoughts

Valdosta State is old school baseball. While it has a video board, it doesn't seem to be working, so the scoreboard is pretty simple. They play on a grass field, with just a small patch of turf for their logo, and there's no mid or between-inning entertainment other than music. Baseball at it's finest, if you ask me.