By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
Inside this $150 million minor league ballpark there are money-making amenities everywhere — a swanky club area plus 22 suites, points of sale ringing the main concourse, a swimming pool and more than 10,000 seats.
The ballyard in Summerlin for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators has sat quiet to the public for quite a while after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 Minor League Baseball season. Summerlin master developer Howard Hughes Corporation owns the ballpark and the Aviators. Howard Hughes Corp. did receive $80 million from the local tourism agency, the LVCVA, for the venue’s naming rights. Howard Hughes even cleared more than $1 million in merchandise sales at Las Vegas Ballpark in 2019 when the old 51s were re-branded into the Aviators, which led the minors in attendance two years ago.
But the gates will re-open once again for baseball in less than a week. No, not for the Aviators, which play their first home game May 6.
It’s the UNLV baseball team that will call the Summerlin ballyard their home for one game on Tuesday April 13 when the UNLV Rebels hosts Arizona State for a 6:05 PM first pitch. Fan attendance will be limited to 3,500 and masks are required. Each ticket will cost 10 bucks apiece. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10AM at this link.
The UNLV vs Arizona State baseball game was supposed to have been played a year ago, said Don “Donny Baseball” Logan, Aviators president.
“Was supposed to happen last year and got COVIDed,” Logan told LVSportsBiz.com Wednesday.
UNLV’s baseball team is having a nice season, said Dan Dolby, general manager of UNLV Sports Properties, who sent out an item on the ballgame. The Rebs are in second place in the Mountain West Conference, with the team sporting a sizzling batting average of .318, good for fourth in the country. UNLV beat 15-ranked ASU at its stadium just last month.