Perfect Weather, Host Pensacola State Help Usher Baseball Back At Blue Wahoos Stadium

No one had an idea how a first-time, baseball tripleheader in late January, featuring Pensacola State College and two neighboring junior college teams, would be received at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The answer was far better than expected.

From balmy weather, to the walk-up ticket sales, to concession lines and overall quality of play, the games on January 30 ushered a welcome return of baseball.

“I thought it was awesome,” said Pensacola State coach Brian Lewallyn, who broached the idea of such an event several months ago, as way for three area junior college teams to have an opportunity to play at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The Pirates were joined by Northwest Florida State College, which won both of its games, and Coastal Alabama Community College-East from nearby Brewton.

“I thought the games were good, everything ran smooth and the facilities were great,” said Lewallyn, whose team was part of bringing back the first baseball competition of its kind since the Cox Diamond Invitational collegiate event in early March 2020.

Days later, the initial onslaught in mid-March of the coronavirus pandemic began a shutdown of sports at all levels. The Blue Wahoos have not played since early September 2019 and it could be 20-month gap between seasons when they resume.

The long wait for baseball again at the bayfront stadium spurred 764 tickets for the event. More than 500 fans bought tickets as walkup sales.

“The crowd was fantastic, better than I ever thought. It was the biggest crowd we have played in front of since I’ve been here,” said Lewallyn, now in his fifth year as PSC coach, who pointed out that crowds at PSC home games typically have 50-100-plus fans.

Pensacola State opened the day with a 4-0 win against Coastal Alabama, then lost 3-1 to Northwest Florida State College in the evening finale. The Raiders, ranked No. 4 in the national JUCO poll, beat Coastal Alabama 8-0 in the middle game.

“Honestly, for it being January, we had good weather and it really was a great day all around,” said Shannon Reeves, the Blue Wahoos director of events who arranged the tripleheader. “I think people were just excited about having baseball back.

“The coaches were so nice and complimentary. This is definitely something we want to do again. We have the ability each year before our own season starts to have games here, so by all means we are open to hosting these kind of things.”

Lewallyn said he could help expand the event into a three-day tournament with junior college teams traveling from other areas to join with local teams.

“I would have no problem getting teams to play here,” he said. “For us playing there for the first time it was everything we could have asked for.”

In attendance Jan. 30 was Bill Hamilton, the long-time former PSC baseball coach and athletic director. He is credited for helping return professional baseball to Pensacola after nearly a half-century absence.

In 2002, Hamilton worked out an arrangement for an Independent League team to add Pensacola to its teams. The Pensacola Pelicans played their first season at PSC’s ballpark.

Hamilton worked out the contract, helped with logistics and brought the games to the community. One night that year, Blue Wahoos co-owners Quint and Rishy Studer took in a game with friends. They had no connection back then to professional baseball.

They loved it. And it led to the Studers eventually purchasing franchise rights for the Pelicans.

“If it had not been for what Bill had done -- getting the Pelicans – there would have been no game to see,” Quint Studer said. “And none of these other things then happen with getting the Blue Wahoos, getting a stadium built and everything that has happened since.”

The three games Jan. 30 included a sizeable number of professional baseball scouts. One player being evaluated was Northwest Florida State pitcher Dylan Ross, who threw three shutout innings as starter in the Raiders’ win against Coastal Alabama.

“There were probably about 15 scouts, including scouting director from one team, and many cross-checkers there to see players,” said Kevin Saucier, former major league pitcher and Pensacola native, who works as scouting concierge for the Blue Wahoos.

“Scouts love it when they can come here to this ballpark and especially when you have several games they can see at one time.”

Lewallyn said the experience was beneficial at a time when just playing games after a long absence is vital for team growth.

“I thought we played pretty well for the most part,” he said. “We cleaned up some things from our opening week and that’s really what we tried to do and get innings and games under our belt.

“We only had practiced for two weeks before we started the season (on Jan. 22), so just getting out there to play is a big deal.”