UGA baseball to open SunTrust Park

Jonathan Paden

 

This a rendering of the new, SunTrust Park, which is set to open in March. The park will feature Hope and Will’s Sandlot, which is a kid friendly area located in centerfield behind the scoreboard.

The first chance for the public to experience SunTrust Park up close will not be a major league baseball game.

On April 8, the University of Georgia (UGA) baseball team will face off against the Missouri Tigers in the third and final game of their series.

All proceeds from the game will go towards the benefit of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which hosts these charity games on an annual basis.

“This college matchup will be the first time the general public can really immerse themselves in SunTrust Park,” Braves president of business Derek Schiller said. “With the excitement building around the ballpark, we think we have a great opportunity to have a large crowd in attendance, which would mean a lot of money raised for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.”

The game ranks as one of the nation’s largest attended college baseball games each year. In the 14 years it was held at Turner Field, the average attendance for the game was 19,413 people.

Fans attending the game will be able to enjoy all of SunTrust Park’s amenities – the Xfinity Rooftop, three levels of the Coors Light Chop House including Below the Chop that is directly behind the right fielder, or for a full view, sit above the crowd in the Home Depot Clubhouse perched above the left centerfield stands.

“Our players and staff are very excited to have this unique opportunity to play the first game open to the public at SunTrust Park,” said Georgia’s Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin. “We are looking forward to seeing the Bulldog Nation fill up the seats with Red and Black.”

Tickets for the Georgia vs. Missouri game will be $15 and group packages are also available. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster or through Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

The Atlanta Braves will open the 2017 season on the road with games at New York, Pittsburgh and Miami, before their inaugural homestand at SunTrust Park beginning on Friday, April 14.