Photos by Jason Bartel, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14
Husky Field Beechnut Street and Bonhomme Road Houston, TX 77074
Year Opened: 1993
Capacity: 1,000
Dawg Days in Houston
When it comes to college baseball in the Houston area, everyone knows about Rice, Houston, and maybe even Texas Southern. But the Houston Baptist Huskies aren’t an experience to sleep on. Tucked away in the southwest part of Houston, HBU offers up an old-timey take on the college baseball atmosphere.
Lined with silver metal bleachers and a cast iron gate to enter through, Husky Field offers up the basics – perfect for a day of baseball. And it’s going to be day baseball. There are no artificial lights here; just sunlight. So if you’re looking for an afternoon escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city, maybe Houston Baptist is the place for you.
Note: Houston Baptist became Houston Christian beginning Sept 2022.
Food & Beverage 3
The thing that makes Husky Field stand out in this area is the giant “Dawgs Up” grill set up behind the seating area. You’ll be able to get your hot dogs and hamburgers, but also get to see and smell them while they are being charred to perfection.
The lone concessions tent is where you pay for everything, and if you’re getting a hot dog, burger, or sausage wrap after you pay you just walk back to the grill to pick it up. You can also add a bag of chips for $1.
HBU also offers Pepsi options at its baseball games – it costs $2.25 for a can of soda, or you can get a Gatorade for $3. You’ll also be able to bring your drinks in, just not alcoholic beverages.
The sausage wrap is the one unique menu item offered by the Huskies – it’s a sausage in a tortilla, but it seems to be the favorite among the locals. Either way, the food is good, cooked fresh, and reasonably priced, so you can’t go wrong with anything.
Atmosphere 3
If you need luxuries at your baseball game, this is probably not for you. But if you just like taking in the game and relaxing in the bleachers on a sunny Saturday, then you’re in luck.
Husky Field offers up an interesting archway donning its name to welcome you into the friendly abode. The majority of the seating area is metal bleachers with a few select plastic seatbacks behind home plate, or you can also bring in your chairs to sit in for extra comfort, and to be right up against the backstop.
HBU does have tons of in-game promotions though, adding intrigue to almost every inning. A random fan is chosen for a free combo at Jimmy John’s early in the game, and if the Huskies scored three runs in the third inning, someone gets a free Payday candy bar. And in the fourth and sixth innings, if the HBU pitchers hold their opponent scoreless, one lucky fan gets some free Shipley Donuts. So there are plenty of reasons to stay and cheer on the Huskies.
If you want the sun at your back, then you’ll want to sit on the third base side, which is also the home side. If you have a camping chair I’d recommend bringing that along, so you can sit up close and have some extra personal comforts with you.
Neighborhood 2
Houston Baptist is located just off I-69 in a very residential area of Houston. Pretty much nothing that you’ll want to visit is within walking distance of the stadium, but luckily parking at HBU is free.
There aren’t many great options in this area of Houston – if you’re looking for drinks with some food before or after a game, Prime Daiquri is probably the closest decent option. It has exactly what you think it has, plus a very eclectic food menu.
Or if you just want some wings and beer, BreWingz is right next door – both of these restaurants are located just on the other side of I-69 from HBU. Saltgrass Steakhouse is also right down the road and is a very popular chain in the Houston area. From Husky Field, it is about a 15-20 minute drive on I-69 to get to some of the more social areas of the city.
To find attractions, you’ll have to head into the central part of Houston; there is not much in the area immediately around Houston Baptist University. Of course, there are plenty of things to do in downtown Houston, and there is an area along I-69 called Montrose with lots of places to visit. And if you’re visiting Houston for a few days, Galveston is a one-hour drive away.
Fans 3
The fans that come out for the Huskies are certainly passionate about their team, whether it’s because they are parents, friends, or HBU lifers.
Husky Field probably has an average attendance of several hundred people, most of which are laid back. The home atmosphere isn’t what you would call intimidating, but you can certainly hear every little thing that someone has to say, whether it’s a player or a fan, and that adds to the overall vibe of the game.
Access 5
Husky Field is certainly easy to get to in a city whose road system is pretty atrocious. The stadium is less than a mile from I-69, there’s plenty of parking, and nothing feels cramped or crowded at this ballpark.
There is a Houston Metro bus stop right in front of the stadium (the Beechnut Street @ Bonhomme Road stop), and you can plan out your trip on the Metro website.
Parking is accessible all around the ballpark – there are plenty of campuses lots just up the street from the park, making it a nice, short walk to the entry gate.
There is one gate entry at Huslky Field, located on the west side of the park essentially at the corner of Beechnut and Bonhomme. This is also where you pay for your ticket ($5 general admission). With the crowd size, it is not a time-consuming process to get into the park, and there is no security check to slow things down.
Once inside you can either set up camp on the main walkway with your chair or walk up into the stands to sit on the bleachers. You can also walk around and get to the first base side with no problem. The one-bathroom area is located right where you walk in as a separate little building. Also, with all of the pathways having views of the field, handicap access is not a problem at Husky Field.
Return on Investment 4
It’s not very costly to go to a Houston Baptist University baseball game, and if you time it right, you’ll see some very notable baseball schools roll through town throughout the year. Tickets cost $5, parking is free, and you can get a full meal for $6. All of this with a good baseball game and a relaxing setting makes for a good, cost-effective day with the family.
Extras 2
The first extra goes to the “Dawgs Up” grillmaster getting the main courses ready during the first part of the game. It almost takes you back to Little League, when you would have a cookout and then play a game afterward – this adds a little extra to that overall old-timey baseball feel of Husky Field.
The second extra is for the conference championships remembered on the right field wall. HBU is a school that seems to be making strides in its athletics programs, and baseball is right there in the thick of it. Sooner or later this school will have some baseball history to go with the historical feel of its stadium.
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