Trustmark Park

Third-base entrance to Trustmark Park, Sep-2006.

The seating bowl, as seen from the outfield berm.

A look at the field from behind the plate.

• Location: Braves Way between Bass Pro Drive and Childre Drive, Pearl, Miss.
• Opened: 2005
• Home team: Mississippi Braves, Southern League (2005-present)
• Capacity: 6,000

Rating: 3 baseballs

While the park is visible from I-20, fans enter the parking lot from two side streets off Route 80, one of which also leads to a new Bass Pro Shops location. The park has two main entrances, one behind the plate and one down the third-base line.

The concourse does wrap around the ballpark, although one has to walk quite a distance away from the playing field in order to walk completely around the park thanks to the lack of separation between the concourse and the service road. Many teams have built a bridge over the service road, but not the M-Braves.

I was also disappointed by the lack of a full-time dedicated scoreboard at the park. The main score is kept on a matrix board; between innings the board is used for advertising and so there is no indication of the score of the game. I had the same problem on my 2001 visit to AutoZone Park in Memphis, an otherwise fine facility.

On the other hand, the park does offer the chance to grab some Southern delicacies, like fried catfish, at the concession stand. I had the catfish platter ($7 including fries) and not only was it tasty, it was almost too much to eat. Add the usual Southern hospitality, and I had an enjoyable night at the ball game ... punctuated by a contest that was completed in a remarkable 1:58. The M-Braves beat Montgomery, 2-1.