Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71
John Sessions Stadium River Rd Jacksonville, FL 32211
Year Opened: 1994 Capacity: 1,500
Between the River and the Ocean
Jacksonville University is one of several institutions of higher learning in the city that field baseball teams, alongside Edward Waters and the University of North Florida. Lacking a pro baseball team closer than Tampa, however, the city is probably most well-known for its MiLB franchise, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
The Jacksonville Dolphins play their home games at John Sessions Stadium, an on-campus facility nestled among the school’s other athletic facilities. The small venue opened in 1994, holds 1500 fans, and was most recently renovated in 2008, when a new scoreboard, entrance, and backstop were added.
Food & Beverage 3
The facility has one concessions stand just inside the main entrance, which is punnily named the Con“Sessions” Stand, reusing the baseball venue’s name; both the stadium and its concession stand are named after John Sessions, a member of JU’s first graduating class and proud supporter of JU athletics, especially baseball.
This stand offers a basic menu including what you would probably expect to find at this level, including hot dogs, burgers, nachos, pretzels, popcorn, chips, candy, and snow cones, as well as soda, bottled water, beer, and wine. Prices may be a tad on the high side, with main dishes running $6 and bottled water/soda coming in at $3/$4, but the addition of beer and wine is a nice perk, given many college sports venues don’t offer alcohol.
Atmosphere 2
Baseball at John Sessions Stadium is pretty low key; the crowd is miniscule, and there isn’t anything going on besides the game itself, although the facility itself is nicely done. The stands don’t appear dated at all, there are lots of JU color pops, and there are myriad photos and other nods to past JU players, as well as homages to past tournament and regional appearances; there is even a small Dolphins team gear stand right next to the concessions stand.
The ticket office has some nice décor as well – through the window you can see a giant Jacksonville University banner bracketed by two JU baseball uniforms.
Neighborhood 4
Jacksonville University and John Sessions Stadium are located on the east and south sides of the curving St. Johns River, about 15 miles west of the beaches. Certainly beachfront activities are an option if you are in town for several days for a full three-day series, which baseball fans are accustomed to at any level, but there are also some great restaurants to be found closer to the university itself. Two well-known sandwich shops are The Sheik and Blue Boy, while Tabouleh Café and Trap House Chicken are great if you are looking for wings or Mediterranean, and of course Jacksonville also features numerous seafood restaurant and breakfast eateries, the latter of which always seem prevalent in beachside towns.
Fans 1
Attendance at John Sessions Stadium is almost non-existent during Jacksonville Dolphins baseball games – the stands can often be nearly empty, and you may see more visiting fans than home fans sitting in the chairback seats. Most fans sit in front of the press box, facing home plate, but there are two additional sections of seating, one on the first base side and another on the third base side. There is no seating in the outfield.
Access 4
There are no issues getting to, or in and out of, Sessions Stadium, other than possibly some lingering construction along one edge of the main parking lot. There is a huge parking lot on the first base side of the field, along Dolphin Drive after you pass through the gate when you come onto campus – most fans will park there and walk around to the main entrance, although insiders know there is additional parking closer to the entrance itself, if you keep driving around after you see the first, large parking area.
Once inside the facility there are no issues moving around, especially given the typically small crowd size. There may be a short line for concessions, however, as there is only one stand serving the whole park – so at a busy game there might be a bit of a wait.
Return on Investment 3
Parking is free for JU baseball, and admission is only $10, although they stop selling tickets (and thus let you in free), starting around the fourth or fifth inning. Given the lack of amenities here, this might be a good way to spend an evening depending on what kind of experience you are looking for. If you are bringing a large group, you will probably have more fun at a Jumbo Shrimp game, for example, although you will likely pay a bit more for it.
Extras 2
There are a couple of dolphin statues on campus, including one carved from the stump of a tree felled by Hurricane Irma, and the team offers free electronic programs at its baseball games via a QR code, but otherwise there is not much going on at John Sessions Stadium during Jacksonville University Dolphins baseball, save for the simplicity of the game itself.
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