Edward A. LeLacheur Park - UMass Lowell River Hawks
- Paul Baker
- Mar 23
- 6 min read
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Edward A. LeLacheur Park
450 Aiken St
Lowell, MA 01852
Year Opened: 1998
Capacity: 4,767
Empty Nest Syndrome
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is one of five schools in the UMass system, and is the second-largest public institution in Massachusetts, with 18,000 students. “UMass Lowell” offers 120 Bachelors, 43 Master’s and 25 Doctoral programs in its six schools and colleges. The school began as two separate schools – Lowell State College and Lowell Technological Institute, which merged in 1975 to become the University of Lowell. In 1991 the school joined the UMass system. Business Insider Magazine has twice listed the school at the top of its “Most Underrated Colleges in America” list.
Edward A. LeLacheur Park was built in 1998 as the result of a partnership between the city of Lowell, MA and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. The ballpark is named in honor of the state representative who spearheaded the construction of the ballpark. From its opening until 2020, it served as home to both the UMass Lowell baseball team and the minor league Lowell Spinners.
The Spinners were the Class A Short Season affiliate of the nearby Boston Red Sox from 1996 to 2020. When Minor League Baseball was reorganized before the 2021 season, the Spinners were one of the 40 teams dropped from MiLB.
Beginning play in 1976, UMass Lowell baseball began competing in Division One in 2014. Now members of the America East Conference, The River Hawks qualified for 17 Division Two Tournaments and made two D-II World Series before moving up a level. Five River Hawk alumni have played in the Major Leagues, most notably Gold Glove winning catcher Mike LaValliere.
Food & Beverage 2
There is one concession stand open for River Hawks games. A basic menu is served, with hot dogs and assorted snacks (pretzels, popcorn, chips and cotton candy) available.
Bottles of Pepsi products are sold here. Don’t be fooled by the beer sign on the wall of the concession stand. There is no alcohol sold at this on-campus facility.
Atmosphere 2
I never thought I’d say this about a game at LeLacheur Park, but you’re only going to get a basic game day presentation here at a RiverHawks game. The limitations of the ballpark at the present time dictate what the UMass Lowell staff can do. I hate to keep making comparisons to the days of the Spinners, but it’s quite a shock to fans who’ve been coming since the early days of the ballpark.
The large scoreboard in left field is no longer operational and is covered by a large tarp with the UMass Lowell logo. Game information is displayed on a tiny scoreboard out in right field. The sound system is good, and music is played between innings and as batters stride to the plate. The PA announcer delivers lineup announcements and sponsor reads in a booming, professional delivery.
Most of the energy in this ballpark (and there’s not much when you have 200 people in a 5,000-seat facility) comes from the fans in the stands. If you enjoy being able to hear the crack of the bat (well, since this is college baseball, the “ping” of the bat) and the chatter going on down on the field, you’ll enjoy your time at LeLacheur Park.
Neighborhood 3
The University of Massachusetts-Lowell campus straddles the Merrimack River near downtown Lowell. Located on the south bank of the river, LeLacheur Park is a short distance from the Tsongas Center, home of the UMass Lowell hockey teams and the PWHL’s Boston Fleet. Other UMass Lowell athletic facilities, including Costello Athletic Center and Cushing Field, are located on the opposite side of the river.
The city of Lowell was a major center for manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. As a result of this rich history, Lowell contains many buildings of historical significance, several of which have been preserved by the National Park Service and have been preserved as the Lowell National Historical Park. Fans arriving early to LeLacheur Park can walk along the Riverwalk and observe some of the rapids that powered the old mills. Fans of American literature should be sure to check out the memorial for native son Jack Kerowac, located within the national park.
Fans looking for a place to gather before or after a game for a bite to eat or drink will have to travel into downtown Lowell or beyond. The area around Market Street, about a mile from the ballpark, has some good and varied options. Lowell suffers from a bad reputation that lingers from decades ago. As is the case with many cities, there are safe areas and areas to avoid. Statistically, Lowell is as safe or safer than most New England cities of similar size. You can feel safe visiting the area around the ballpark and the downtown area.
Fans 2
The crowd at LeLacheur Park can accurately be described as a “friends and family” crowd. Usually numbering between 100-200 fans, many of the fans in attendance have a personal connection with the players on the field. It’s also not unusual to see fans of the visiting teams in attendance at River Hawk games.
There’s not a big turnout from the student body at River Hawk baseball games. The students who do show up generally do not make a lot of noise. Even with much of the ballpark blocked off, there’s lots of room to spread out at LeLacheur Park, and fans tend to scatter around the park.
Access 3
Lowell is a city with a population of about 115,000 citizens located about a half hour northwest of Boston near the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. Straddling the Merrimack River, Lowell came of age during the Industrial Revolution as a mill town. Many of those mills have been preserved as part of the Lowell National Historic Park.
LeLacheur Park is located on the southern bank of the Merrimack River a short distance from downtown. Interstate 495 runs just south of Lowell, and the Lowell Connector takes motorists from the interstate into downtown Lowell. The ballpark is about two miles from the end of the Lowell Connector. The Lowell Regional Transit Authority’s number 9 bus has a stop on Pawtucket Street right near the ballpark for those fans using public transit.
Fans will enter the ballpark via an entry tower on the right field side of the stadium. While the concourse and seating bowl stretches from deep right field around to medium left field, access to much of the stadium has been blocked off to fans due to deterioration of concrete in several sections. Fans can sit in the sections that run along the first base line and behind home plate. Most seating consists of faded green stadium seats, with some metal bleachers farther down the right field line. Standing room and handicapped seats are located at the top of the seating bowl.
The single concession stand and restrooms are located on the concourse near the entrance to the ballpark. With the small crowds present for RiverHawk games, lines are not an issue.
Since the departure of the Spinners after the 2020 season, LeLacheur Park feels like it’s been in a steady decline due to a lack of upkeep. The outfield walls are faded, ads are gone, the scoreboard is not operational and is now covered by a tarp, portable carts sit unattended, the green seats throughout the park are faded and showing their age, painted surfaces around the park are peeling, and cement all along the concourse is cracked and patched. As mentioned before, about half of the seating bowl is blocked off to fan access. It makes for a surreal experience for fans who visited throughout the halcyon days of affiliated baseball. But at least the Spinners signage has finally been taken down.
Return on Investment 5
Admission to a RiverHawks baseball game is free of charge. Parking is available in the East Garage adjacent to the ballpark, also at no charge. There is on-street parking available in the area around LeLacheur Park, just be aware of the times meters are in effect.
If you need a snack, the prices at the concession stand are certainly affordable. No item costs more than five dollars.
Extras 1
There are a few small plaques scattered around LeLacheur Park which highlight Lowell baseball history. Lowell natives and Baseball Hall of Famers Hugh Duffy and Joe Kelley, longtime River Hawks coach Jim Stone, and ballpark namesake Edward LeLacheur are honored in bronze on the ballpark’s walls.
Final Thoughts
Ballpark travelers who last visited LeLacheur Park during the salad days of the Spinners will undoubtedly be saddened by the condition of the ballpark today. Barren, empty and in greatly in need of upkeep, the ballpark is a shell of what it used to be. Judging by the condition of LeLacheur, rumors that the city of Lowell was angling to return to affiliated baseball were just that; rumors.
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