Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Presley Askew Field
1815 Wells St
Las Cruces, NM 88003
Year Opened: 1981
Capacity: 1,000
Aggies Baseball
Nestled amidst a grove of trees sits Presley Askew Field, home of the NCAA D1 New Mexico State Aggies baseball team. The field is on the university’s Las Cruces campus next to the Softball Complex and the school’s football stadium, Aggie Memorial.
After 18 years of being members of the WAC (Western Athletic Conference), NMS Aggies athletic teams joined the C*USA (Conference USA) beginning the 2023-24 season.
The baseball team was conference champions in 2002, 2003, 2012, 2018, 2019, and most recently in 2022. And it has had 71 MLB draft picks and 24 NCAA All-Americans.
Food & Beverage 2
The stadium has basic food truck choices for sale along with a separate cart selling just alcohol, all at decent prices. Items for sale include hot dogs, Frito pies, nachos, pickles, popcorn, candy, chips, and hot Cheetos with cheese. The prices range from $2 - $5. Sundays are $1 hot dog days. The truck accepts cash or credit/debit cards.
Bottled soda, water, and Gatorade cost $4. 16-ounce cans of Coors Light, Modelo, and Hop Knot IPA run $8 a can. A 12-ounce Mixed-Up Aggie-Rita (a canned raspberry margarita cocktail made especially for NM State) costs the same amount. Nutrl (a canned vodka seltzer) is $6 a can. Pistol Pete’s 1888 (a blonde ale), made by a New Mexico brewery, Bosque Brewing, is also offered. Pistol Pete’s 1888 is named after the Aggies mascot (Pistol Pete) and the year the university was founded (1888). It’s quite intriguing.
Atmosphere 3
The music volume is brutal. Bring earplugs if you are sensitive to deafening recorded noise. The music person plays loud tunes at the same time the PA announces the starting lineups (especially the visiting team), and the lineups are called way too fast to record on a scorecard. The music person also blares songs the same time the PA is announcing a batter, so you can’t hear who is at bat. Very bad. And he/she plays it between pitches. Ugh.
The stadium’s grandstand is behind home plate and the infield. Presley Askew Field does not offer any other seating for fans. Canopies cover the seating area for shade (the sun sets to the west behind the seating structure/grandstand). You’ll be in the shade, so wear warmer clothes or bring jackets during the early part of the season. Fans appreciate the shade as the season progresses.
The seats and rows are labeled and numbered, but seating is $7 general admission except for several rows directly behind home plate, reserved for season ticket holders. Otherwise, sit where you want. The seats are traditional stadium fold-down seats with no cup holders. The rows offer minimal legroom. A medium-thickness net protects fans from foul balls.
The infield incorporates artificial turf and turf is between all the bases. The home plate area is fake dirt, and the pitcher’s mound is real dirt. The outfield is real grass. I find it an odd combination, but it’s not unusual in college ball.
The home dugout is on the third base side. Trees line the outfield wall, making it quite attractive. Sit high up in the grandstand, on the first base side, to see a nice view of the Organ Mountain Range.
The scoreboard is in left-center field. It is difficult to read during afternoon games because the sun shines directly on it.
If fans bring foul balls to the press box, they win a sweet prize (softball does this as well). Kids enjoy this. The staff throws t-shirts into the crowd for excitement. Two kids participated in a ‘dress like an Aggie’ contest where they had to put on a jersey and other articles to win a prize.
Neighborhood 4
Presley Askew Field is near the other on-campus NM State Athletic fields in Las Cruces, NM. Plenty of restaurants and hotels are within 1 – 2 miles of the arena.
Ten or more restaurants (including fast food) are along University Ave from I-10 to the arena: I-Hop, Burger King, Panda Express, and Chick-fil-A. The Game Sports Bar and Grill is a decent pregame place to visit for a beer and a bite. Weck’s, an NM breakfast/lunch chain, is a worthwhile visit before an afternoon game.
Other things to see and do when visiting Las Cruces include the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum about three miles from Pan Am Center. The Museum of Science and Nature or the Las Cruces Railroad Museum may also be worth a visit, depending on your interests. Of course, a visit to see the world’s largest chile pepper may be in order, too!
Plenty of hotels are near the university. The closest are the Hilton Garden Inn Las Cruces, Comfort Suites University, and Sleep Inn University. A whole slew more is within two–three miles of Pan Am Center.
Other sports in the area are the Aggies softball team and the men’s and women's basketball team. A trip to El Paso, TX (a 45-minute drive) will take you to the El Paso Chihuahuas, AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
Fans 4
Full crowds attend Aggies baseball games, with attendance records averaging about 725 a game so far in 2024; weekend games get the larger crowds. Some fans set up grills, tables, chairs, and tailgate before the game. Some fans bring their dogs. A good mix of families, alumni, and students make their way into the grandstand.
Fans are vocal and quite active in the stands. A good portion of the attendees generate a lot of traffic traversing up and down the grandstand; they can’t seem to sit still during and between innings. Maybe they just need to leave because of the music volume.
Access 3
Presley Askew Field is near the rest of the university’s athletic fields, south of the Pan American Center. Getting to the stadium is an easy drive off I-10. Free parking, including handicapped, surrounds the stadium. The entrance has a strong, stable ramp up to the grandstand, in addition to two sets of steps.
Las Cruces does have a bus stop (Aggie Green), but it looks operational only M – F, 7am – 6pm, so it is generally suitable only for early midweek baseball games. Las Cruces Airport is 12+ miles from the university, but only one commercial airline uses the airfield. The next closest airport is ELP in El Paso, TX, about 50 minutes south.
The ticket office is a separate building right in front of the entrance.
I didn’t notice any rules about a bag policy. Your best bet is to bring a clear stadium bag 12” x 6” x 12” or a small clutch.
The venue has one set of clean, accessible restrooms with plenty of stalls.
Return on Investment 4
New Mexico State Aggies baseball is a very affordable afternoon or evening out. Tickets are $7 general admission. You can’t beat that for D1 baseball. Fans receive a hard copy ticket at the ticket office; no need to download it onto an app. It is quite a pleasing way to purchase tickets. More venues should do it this way. The parking is free, and the food prices are reasonable.
Extras 3
Several other things are worth noting. The batter’s eye cleverly has the NMS Aggie logo silhouetted in it. It’s quite unique.
The stadium boasts an ‘All American’ corner displaying photos of and honoring former players and coaches.
A huge merchandise stand across from the food truck sells all kinds of Aggie’s gear (shirts, hats, sweaters, jerseys, etc.).
Final Thoughts
Except for the music volume, taking in a New Mexico State Aggies baseball game is a perfect way to spend a few hours when in Las Cruces.
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