Photos by Matt Colville, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14
Trustmark Park 1 Braves Way Pearl, MS 39208
Year Opened: 2005
Capacity: 8,480
Blazers Baseball on the banks of the Pearl River
Belhaven University is a small private Christian university located in Jackson, MS. The school’s current location opened just north of downtown Jackson in 1894 in the mansion of former Confederate Colonel Jones S. Hamilton; the mansion was named Belhaven, and hence is how the university got its name. In 1927 a lightning strike destroyed the mansion, which housed the university’s only classrooms – the columns that stand today on the west side of the campus are the only remnants of the old college.
The college was originally an all-female institute, but in 1954 males began being admitted, and the athletic program began two years later. Baseball began being played at Belhaven in 1964, with the Blazers competing in the NAIA. In 2015 the Blazers moved up to NCAA Division III, where they now compete in the newest conference at that level, the Collegiate Conference of the South, which they joined in 2022. During their time in the NAIA the Blazers had much success on the diamond, advancing to the NAIA Tournament 10 times and winning their regional twice. The Blazers best season was in 2010 when Belhaven played in their first NAIA world series, but since moving to D3 the Blazers have only been made one regional appearance.
The Blazers have had many homes over the years, playing everywhere from local parks to local high schools. From 1996 thru 2011 the Blazers played on campus at McLeod Field, which is named after the first baseball coach in program history, and is now used as the home of the school's softball team. In 2012 the Blazers began playing at Historic Smith-Wills Stadium, in east Jackson, the former home of MiLB’s Jackson Mets/Generals (1975 to 1999). In 2022 the Blazers began playing at Trustmark Park in Pearl, about 7 miles southeast of campus, originally sharing the stadium with the former Double A Mississippi Braves – during that time Belhaven still played at Smith-Willis Stadium occasionally, whenever there was as scheduling conflict with the M-Braves. But when the Braves left at the end of the 2024 season, it meant Belhaven no longer had to share the park, so the Blazers have played here exclusively ever since.
Food & Beverage 2
Trustmark Park has six permanent concession stands around the concourse, although only the Big Dawg stand on the first base side was open during my most recent visit. Trustmark Park also has a fully enclosed restaurant in right field called State Farm Grill, although it’s closed during Belhaven games. One plus to coming to a Belhaven game is you are also free to bring your own food or drinks into the stadium.
Atmosphere 3
Trustmark Park opened in 2005 and served as the home of MILB’s Mississippi Braves from 2005 thru 2024, when the team’s 20-year lease was up on the stadium, and the team moved to Columbus, GA and re-branded as the Columbus Clingstones starting in 2025.
Trustmark Park is quite large with 8,840 permanent seats. For Belhaven games only one entrance is used, the one behind home plate, where you enter a wide and open spacious concourse at street level, looking down at a sunken field – there is not a bad seat in the house because of the way the ballpark is configured.
The concourse is completely covered by the suites, so no matter where you are on the concourse you are not getting wet; the only area of the concourse that is not covered is the picnic area behind home plate. You won’t find any Belhaven signage in Trustmark Park, but there is plenty of Braves signage still located here, from the M-Braves logo at the main entrance to the Braves logo on the giant videoboard. One interesting note about the scoreboard in center field is that it was the largest videoboard in Double A baseball when the Mississippi Braves played here.
The usual amenities you would have found when attending minor league games here in the past will not be found at Belhaven; there are no promotions, no mascot, no fun zone, and no team store. Instead, the focus is purely on baseball. There is a PA announcer who plays music, including walk-up music, but that is about it – the players even double as the grounds crew. The one positive is there are no ushers, so you are free to go anywhere you want to go in the stadium. Both second level party decks are open, as well as the Picnic Pavilion in left field, and the second level seating in front of the suites is open as well. This arrangement works out well for baseball purists who just want to sit and take in a game with no extras.
Neighborhood 3
Pearl is a suburb of about 25,000 people, the closest city over the Pearl River from Jackson to the east. Pearl has really grown in recent years thanks in part to its close proximity to the Capitol and government buildings of the state, but being in a different county they do not have to deal with some of the issues Jackson has dealt with in recent years.
The opening of the ballpark in 2005 was meant to revitalize the area that was once all woods right off Interstate 20 – the opening of Trustmark Park helped created many businesses that have popped up over the last 20 years. Just across the street from the ballpark you can get plenty of shopping done at The Outlets of Mississippi; with over 75 stores including brands like Nike, Under Armour, Forever 21, Coach, and Marshall’s, you are bound to find something to buy at Mississippi's largest outdoor shopping center.
In addition, right next door to the Outlets you can get the latest hunting and fishing gear at Bass Pro Shop, then hop on over to Cavender’s Outfitters next door to buy gear to hunt and fish in. A couple of restaurants worth checking out are Huey Magoo’s, a new local chicken tender joint next to the Outlets, while just down the road near the interstate is Frisco Deli, a family-owned deli-style restaurant, and Moss Creek Fish House, the only place in Pearl to get seafood.
For nightlife, Pearl is in a dry county, but alcohol is sold in certain restaurants – the Mississippi-based sports bar Mugshots just opened on Bierdeman Road, where you can get a good selection of drinks or a burger before or after a Blazers game. The Holiday Inn next to Bass Pro also has a cool bar called the Alumni House, and of course, Bass Pro Shop has a pretty unique restaurant/bar surrounded by giant fish tanks. Other than that, your best bet for nightlife would be to venture into Jackson's Fondren District, about 15 minutes away. Jackson is also the state capital and has several historic attractions worth checking out, such as the new and old Capitol buildings and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
Fans 3
Trustmark Park is just too large for the Blazers, as they only averaged between 100 and 150 fans per game last season; most of the fans in attendance seem to be friends and family of the players. The good thing is, because of their close relationship with the players most of the people here seem into the game and are knowledgeable of the players.
Belhaven’s campus also sits next to the Milsaps College campus just north of downtown Jackson, about 7 miles away. The two schools meet up every year in the Cowboys Maloney’s Series, playing a game at Trustmark Park and a game at Twenty Field each year. When the two schools meet up, expect more fans at Trustmark Park – Cowboy Maloney’s is a Jackson-based appliance chain owned by J. Con Maloney, the former owner of the Jackson Mets.
Access 4
Getting to Trustmark Park is pretty easy. If coming from out of town I-20 or Highway 49 are your best bets – the park is located right off the I-20 and Highway 49 interchange at Exit 48. As you are driving on the Interstate you can see Trustmark Park next to Bass Pro Shop and the Outlets, right before you get to the I-55 interchange. Once you get off Exit 48 travel north on Highway 49 about a half mile, then get on Highway 80 and take the first right onto Bass Pro Drive, and you'll see the park up ahead.
Because of the lack of fans parking shouldn’t be an issue, as you can just pull right up to the stadium. Once in the stadium being able to walk around wherever you want is obviously a plus – there will be entire sections of seating you’ll get all to yourself, if you like watching baseball in the natural elements in the most tranquil setting. Being able to go up on the suite level is also a plus.
Return on Investment 3
Parking is free, tickets are free, and you are free to roam anywhere you want in a former minor league baseball stadium, so you can’t beat that. The only thing you’ll be paying for is concessions, or you can bring your own food and drinks from home – just don’t come expecting any bells and whistles. The focus here will be strictly on the game; if you do want to come to a Belhaven game here I’d recommend coming for the Cowboy Maloney Series, as it’ll be a much more lively atmosphere.
Extras 4
The Blazers have had 7 players drafted into the MLB, with the highest selected pick, Thomas Robbins, being taken in the 9th round in 1970. There has yet to be a player from Belhaven who has actually made it to the Big Leagues, however.
If you have time to check out the Belhaven campus it’s about a 10-15 minute drive from Pearl through downtown Jackson. The campus is small but filled with many historic buildings, making for a great walk if you enjoy walking around college campuses. The neighborhood is filled with many mansions as well, and Millsaps College is located just across the street.
One extra for the Blazers playing at a former minor league ballpark with so much history and so many big games played here over the last 20 years. These small college players are playing on the same field as Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Max Fried, Dansby Swanson, and Spencer Strider all got their start on, as they all came through here as members of the M-Braves organization.
Another extra for all the baseball games held at Trustmark Park throughout the year – in addition to Belhaven, Trustmark Park also serves as a neutral site home for Southern Miss, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss when they play each other every year. The ballpark also hosts the Mississippi High School Baseball State Championships every year, and in May 2025 Trustmark Park will welcome its newest tenant, the Mississippi Mud Monsters of the Independent Frontier League, who play here in the summer.
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