By Darlene Brace
The Jamestown baseball team was formerly called the Jamestown Jammers, and their name was changed in 2020 to the Tarp Skunks. They are part of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, which includes 16 teams. Their home opener was on May 29, and their regular season will conclude on July 27. This season, they will play twenty-two home games at Diethrick Park, located at 485 Falconer Street. Most home games start at 6:30pm, except for Sundays when games begin at 4pm, and some include doubleheaders.
This park features a large, covered grandstand with some seating sections designated for season ticket holders. In addition, there are two open bleachers along the first and third base lines. The park includes a concession area offering a menu primarily consisting of hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, chicken fingers, and typical stadium snacks like popcorn, ice cream, and cotton candy, as well as beer and other beverages.
The Tarp Skunks host family-friendly baseball games at this park, along with various community nights and special events. When you check the Tarp Skunks’ calendar schedule, you’ll notice some nights labeled as “Buy Out.” These Buy Out games occur when a business or organization purchases all the seating in the stadium, allowing free admission for everyone attending that Buy Out game.
The first Buy Out game took place on June 22nd and was sponsored by the Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union. The next Buy Out game is scheduled for June 29th, sponsored by Jamestown Community College. Following that, the Wegmans Buy Out game will be on July 11th, and the First Responders Buy Out game will occur on July 17th. The Buy Out games often have raffles and other special activities.
A special Buy Out game night will be the Christmas in July Buy Out sponsored by Collaborative Children’s Solutions (CCS) and Culture Care Senior Living. On this night, along with the baseball game there will be holiday themed music, games and activities for the whole family to enjoy. Santa and some other holiday characters will be on hand for meet and greets and photo opportunities. At the end of the game, there will be an exciting fireworks display that will cap off the evening.
CCS-TV, a division of CCS, is the official broadcast partner of the Tarp Skunks. CCS-TV will be broadcasting live all the Buy Out games and all the other home games. The live broadcast can be seen on Roku, CCS-TV’s mobile app, on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, You Tube, and at CCS-TV.com.
There are also several special event nights besides the Buy Out game nights. For example, the next special event night is Youth Baseball/Softball Night on June 27th. Any youth that wears their own team’s jersey will get into the baseball game for free.
In July there will be more special event nights. On July 3rd, there will be fireworks after the home game, in celebration of the Fourth of July holiday. Then on July 13th, it is the Bark in the Park Night that allows you to bring your dog to the park for the game. There will be a dog costume contest with prizes and dog treats. These are some of the special nights with several more scheduled. To see a complete calendar of all the games, special event nights, and other information, visit jamestowntarpskunks.com.
When you are on the website you will see several tabs to click on besides the schedule of the games. One of the tabs says the Whiffy Fund. The Whiffy Fund provides community access to baseball games by offsetting the cost of tickets. It provides tickets to youth groups and organizations but giving access to tickets to some select games. It provides tickets to many children and youth groups who might not have had access otherwise and gives them a fun and safe evening of entertainment.
General Manager Christian Dolce takes pride in how the Tarp Skunks and the Whiffy Fund are making a difference in the community. He shared, “We love being a team that focuses on our community. With local investors behind the team, we’ve planned a variety of fun activities that get the whole family involved. Our mission is to create a cheerful and inviting atmosphere at our games, where families in the community can come together, enjoy the action of the game, and have a a great time! “
There are still lots of home games lined up, featuring Buy Out game nights and other special events that you and your loved ones won’t want to miss at Diethrick Park, while cheering on the Tarp Skunks!