Excitement was already in the air when the first pitches were thrown out at opening night for The Ballpark at America First Square on April 8. South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey joined Thayne Shaffer from America First Credit Union and Greg Miller from the LHM Group to toss ceremonial first pitches in pregame activities. Then the action began.

With a crowd of about 7,000 in attendance, the Salt Lake Bees ushered in their new home with a 13-10 victory over the Reno Aces. And the celebration began early. The first four Bees all reached base, with shortstop Zach Neto scoring the team’s first run. Then designated hitter J.D. Davis slugged a grand slam to give the Bees a 5-0 lead with still no one out. Salt Lake eventually built that lead to 10-1 after three innings following home runs by Niko Kavadas and Neto. Things were on cruise control after that, even after the Aces scored five times in the ninth to make the score respectable.

The six-game homestand that ended on April 13 included giveaways of pennants, t-shirts and towels, plus face painting, lawn games (including mini golf) and photos with the team’s mascot, Bumble. Fans walked around the perimeter of the park, observing not just the stadium that was built with private funding, but also a glimpse of construction sites for things to come as the development of Downtown Daybreak takes place. The stadium features a very unique set of seats behind home plate that put fans closer to home plate than the pitcher’s mound.

Concessions include chicken classics, staples like hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, popcorn and ice cream, Mediterranean bowls, Philly cheesesteaks, bratwursts and smokehouse BBQ. Churros, soft pretzels and shaved ice will be available in coming weeks, and there’s a grab-and-go market utilizing smart technology. The Bees are also offering Sunday Brunch for every
Sunday game.

“We’re excited to welcome fans to the Salt Lake Bees’ brand new hive, The Ballpark at America First Square,” team GM Ty Wardle said. “We will have a season of openings this summer. Please pardon our dust as we get settled into the new ballpark and continue to build out America
First Square.”

Several Bark in the Park events are planned for nine games, along with three Abejas nights, a country-themed weekend and a Superman night. Fireworks and drone shows are also planned this season.

This is the Bees’ 25th season as the Triple-A affiliate for the Los Angeles Angels. More information on future activities and tickets can be found at slbees.com. λ