Greater Lawrence Technical School Baseball Field – Merrimack Warriors
- Paul Baker
- Apr 5
- 5 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.14
Greater Lawrence Technical School Baseball Field 57 River Road Lawrence, MA 01810
Year Opened: 1965
Capacity: 500
Warriors, Come Out and Play
Merrimack College is a private Augustinian university in North Andover, Massachusetts located about a half hour’s drive northwest of Boston. It was founded in 1947 with a mission to educate World War II veterans returning home. It has since grown to an enrollment of just under 5,500 students studying in 13 academic divisions.
Merrimack began sponsoring a varsity baseball team in 1980. For much of their history, the Warriors competed in Division Two’s Northeast-10 Conference. Merrimack baseball won four conference titles and qualified for two Tournaments. In 2019 Merrimack began transitioning its entire athletic program to the Division One level. After competing for five seasons in the Northeast Conference, the Warriors moved to the Metro Athletic Conference in 2025. They are still awaiting their first D-1 Tournament appearance.
One Merrimack alumnus (Ryan O’Rourke) has reached the Major Leagues. There is a baseball Hall of Famer who attended Merrimack College - Carl Yastrzemski, who attended school there to get his B.S. in Business Administration during his first few seasons in the Majors. Another Warrior baseball player who moved on to greener pastures was Charlie Day, better known for his role in “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” among others.
The Greater Lawrence Technical School opened in 1965 to serve students of Lawrence, Andover, North Andover and Methuen interested in an education with a vocational focus. When plans for a new baseball field on the Merrimack campus fell through, the team moved their home games to the newly turfed field at GLTS.
In 2021 GLTS Alumni Association dedicated the area between the track and baseball field as “Alumni Field.” The area consists of a flagpole, block wall and aggregate. There is an area with bricks that were purchased by various alumni and engraved with their name and year of graduation. The scoreboard at the ball field displays the name Alumni Field, but there is no mention that this is the new name of the facility, either onsite or online.
Food & Beverage 0
There is no food available at GLTS. Fans are welcome to bring in their own drinks and snacks. Since this is New England, you’re sure to see lots of Dunkin’ cups on chilly March and April afternoons.
Atmosphere 2
You wouldn’t expect an elaborate game day presentation here at a small field like GLTS, and you certainly won’t get one. Most of the energy present here comes from the players on the field and their family members in the stands. If you enjoy being able to hear the chatter on the field, you’ll love your time at a Merrimack baseball game.
A small scoreboard in left-center field displays basic game stats. There is a PA announcer who tries to add a bit of energy to the proceedings without being too intrusive. Music plays between innings on a good sound system. Aside from that, there is nothing to distract you from the action going on down on the field. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Neighborhood 2
Lawrence is a city with a population of about 90,000 residents a half hour’s drive northwest of Boston on the New Hampshire border. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, Lawrence came of age during the Industrial Revolution as mills and factories were built along the shores of the river. Like many other cities in the northeast that suffered through the decline in manufacturing after World War II, Lawrence has struggled to redefine and modernize its economy in the decades since.
The Merrimack campus is located five miles from GLTS in neighboring North Andover. Fans looking for other sporting options in the area during baseball season can pair a Warriors game with a UMass-Lowell Riverhawks game at LeLacheur Park, or if visiting later in the season, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Boston Red Sox and Worcester Red Sox all play within an hour’s drive of Lawrence.
Visiting fans will find nothing of interest within walking distance of GLTS, although several hotels are located nearby along the I-93 corridor. In fact, a Courtyard by Marriot is located beyond the left field fence. Fans looking for a place to eat nearby will likely check out The Chateau Restaurant or Andiamo Restaurant Bar and Café, both located close by near I-93. Most visiting fans are likely to head towards Boston for dining and lodging options or other attractions.
Fans 2
The crowd at a Merrimack baseball game can accurately be described as a “friends and family” type of crowd. Stadium Journey visited GLTS on a cold and rainy Saturday morning. There were between 50-100 fans in attendance. Most of the fans at Warriors baseball games appear to have a personal connection with the players on the field and are very invested in the action. It makes for a very low-key, friendly atmosphere, as everyone seems to know everyone in the stands.
Access 4
GLTS is easy to get to, located just a half mile from Interstate 93 as it runs through western Lawrence. Simply take exit 42 off of I-93 and follow the signs to Greater Lawrence Technical High School, which will be on your left as you travel down River Road past the industrial park. The ballfield itself is located behind the school along with the other athletic fields. Ample parking is available for visiting fans right next to the ball field.
Seating is available on a pair of small aluminum bleachers on either side of home plate. Standing room is available right behind home plate, as well as down the left field line. There is room on a hill down the left field line for fans to set up their lawn chairs and take in the action. This appears to be the most popular spot at GLTS. Sitting on the bleachers will require you to look through a fence and/or some netting that serves as the backstop. Seats down the line are free from obstructions, although the fencing here is taller in places than during our initial visit in 2021. For a truly unobstructed view, you may have to move further down the third base line.
There are no permanent concession or rest room facilities at GLTS. A pair of port-a-johns are located behind home plate for fans to use.
Return on Investment 5
You will not spend a single cent to watch a Merrimack baseball game. Admission and parking are free at GLTS.
Extras 0
I am tempted to subtract a point for Merrimack’s continued refusal to acknowledge that GLTS is where they play their home games. There is no mention of the field on their facilities page, and the site of all home games on the baseball schedule is listed as only “Andover, MA.” Their social media pages never mention the name of the field, making it difficult for visiting fans to find the games (unless they visit a site such as Stadium Journey, of course).
Final Thoughts
Despite Merrimack’s reluctance to acknowledge their home field, the baseball field at Greater Lawrence Technical School is comparable to most of the other Division One facilities in New England. It’s not a fancy place, but it’s a solid place to catch some quality baseball at no charge to local baseball fans.
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