Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.43
Quinnipiac Baseball Field
275 Mt Carmel Ave
Hamden, CT 06518
Year Opened: 1967
Capacity: 500
In the Shadow of the Sleeping Giant
Many ballparks boast of stunning views beyond their outfield fences. City skylines rise beyond ballparks in Pittsburgh and St. Louis, ocean vistas in Brooklyn and Pensacola attract the eye, and spectacular mountain views can be seen in Ogden. Tiny Quinnipiac Baseball Field boasts its own natural backdrop. Even better, fans don’t have to spend a cent to take in a ballgame with this view.
Located in the shadows of Sleeping Giant Mountain Park, Quinnipiac Baseball Field was built in 1966 by a group of students. For decades it served as home to Bobcat baseball. In preparation for the 2024 season, the entire park was redone. These renovations included the installation of field turf throughout the facility, new fencing and new dugouts. As part of these improvements, the field’s legendary right field berm was removed from the field of play.
Quinnipiac competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference alongside several other schools located primarily in the New York City metro area. The Bobcats have appeared in two NCAA Tournaments, in 2005 and 2019. The team has yet to advance past the Regional round, although they did win one game in the 2019 tournament. One Quinnipiac alumnus, Turk Wendell, has played in the Major Leagues.
Food & Beverage 0
There are no concessions sold at Quinnipiac Baseball Field. Fans are welcome to bring their own snacks to enjoy during the game (just no alcohol, please). If you need to grab something during a Bobcats game, there are vending machines in the nearby (well, maybe not so nearby) Athletic and Recreation Center.
Atmosphere 2
The gameday atmosphere at a Quinnipiac baseball game is typical of other college ballparks in the northeast. The presentation is simple and understated. Frankly, anything more than the basics would feel terribly out of place here.
The ball field is dominated by its backdrop, Sleeping Giant Mountain. In keeping with this most natural of ballpark sites, there’s not a lot of extras to be found. Ballpark noises not produced on the field or by the fans (i.e. music and PA announcements) are provided via a pair of temporary speakers set up behind home plate, where the Quinnipiac game day staff post up. All extraneous noise is kept to a minimum. A simple scoreboard in right field provides count, inning and score.
Neighborhood 3
Right across the street from Quinnipiac Baseball Field is Sleeping Giant State Park, a popular destination for hiking and other outdoor activities. The mountain got its name due to its resemblance to a person laying down. If visiting the area on a nice spring afternoon, the many trails here are worth exploring before a game.
While Hamden is a lovely community, once named as one of America’s “best small cities” by CNN Money, it is hardly a destination location. There are no dining or lodging options within immediate walking distance of campus. Nearby Whitney Street is filled with strip malls, which give visiting fans some options for pre- and postgame dining. Many visiting fans will instead opt to head into New Haven, which has a well-deserved reputation as a foodie hotspot.
Whitney Avenue dissects the two Quinnipiac campuses. As mentioned before, there are plenty of eateries here if you wish to stay local. Eli’s on Whitney is a Bobcats sponsor and a popular choice of Bobcat fans. If you continue south on Whitney Ave. for a few miles you will find yourself in downtown New Haven on the campus of the Bobcats’ chief hockey rival, Yale University. Visiting fans will find plenty of lodging and dining options in this area, including Louis’ Lunch, the birthplace of the hamburger, Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s, the originators of New Haven-style apizza.
Fans 2
Crowds at Quinnipiac baseball games can accurately be described as a “friends and family” type of gathering. Generally numbering between 100-200 fans, most of the people in attendance have a personal connection to the players on the field. As you can imagine, this means that they are knowledgeable about the game and enthusiastic in their support. With the compact geographic footprint of the MAAC conference, it’s not unusual to see strong support by visiting fans.
Access 4
Quinnipiac is located in the New Haven suburb of Hamden. This town of just over 60,000 residents is located just to the north of New Haven. Quinnipiac University is located in the Mount Carmel neighborhood on the northern edge of town.
The university is split into two campuses about a mile from each other on opposite sides of Whitney Avenue. Most of the school’s athletic facilities are located on the older Mount Carmel campus. The newer York Hill campus contains M&T Bank Arena, home of the Bobcat hockey and basketball teams.
The university is easily reached via Interstate 91, which runs a few miles east of campus. Visiting fans will take exit 10 off I-91 to the Mt. Carmel Connector (Route 40). Travel just over a mile north on Whitney Avenue to Mount Carmel Avenue, and the entrance to the campus will be on your right.
The construction on the ball field, along with the adjoining rugby field and tennis courts, was finished just before the baseball season started. As a result, not everything at Quinnipiac Baseball Field was 100% finished as of Stadium Journey’s visit. Most notably, there is a gigantic mound of dirt in between the parking lot and the field. There are plans to landscape this mound into a viewing hill, which will return some of the facility’s natural charm. For 2024, this area is roped off and inaccessible. Fans must walk around this dirt pile on their way to the field from the parking lot.
The only seating at the ballpark is in the form of a pair of metal bleachers located well beyond first base. Look for some bleachers to return to their familiar spot behind home plate in the future. The field’s signature right field berm, while not in the field of play anymore, is still there beyond the fence. It provides a nice place for fans to sit and bring their own chairs to take in the action. Rest rooms are located in the Athletic and Recreation Center adjacent to the parking lot.
Return on Investment 5
There is no charge for admission to a Quinnipiac baseball game. With free parking in the lot on the other side of the huge dirt mound and no concessions on site, you won’t spend a single cent when watching a Bobcats game.
Extras 1
In 2024 Quinnipiac honored Class of 1970 alumnus, longtime baseball coach and Director of Operations Dan Gooley. Gooley holds the school’s strikeout record and racked up 439 wins during his tenure as the Bobcats’ head coach. His number 15 is posted on the right field wall.
Final Thoughts
While the renovations undertaken at Quinnipiac Baseball Field are undoubtedly great news for the players and for recruiting, it’s taken away much of the charm of this old ball field. Maybe this will change when everything is finished. For now, we’ll give QU Baseball Field an incomplete and look forward to our next visit.