Bowie Baysox Specialize In Family Entertainment

For Baysox, Baseball Is About Community

The Bowie Baysox fill their schedule with family friendly activities so that fans of all ages can attend games and come away with memorable experiences.

Photos courtesy of Joe Noyes

The Bowie Baysox fill their schedule with family friendly activities so that fans of all ages can attend games and come away with memorable experiences.

Photos courtesy of Joe Noyes

The Bowie Baysox fill their schedule with family friendly activities so that fans of all ages can attend games and come away with memorable experiences.

Photos courtesy of Joe Noyes

The Bowie Baysox are a pipeline of talent for the Baltimore Orioles. One of those prospects is outfielder Jud Fabian, currently ranked No. 12 in the system.

Photos courtesy of Joe Noyes

Bowie Baysox outfielder Dylan Beavers is the seventh-ranked prospect for the Orioles.

Photos courtesy of Joe Noyes

Posted Monday, June 3, 2024 11:52 am

By Zach Sparks l zach@severnaparkvoice.com

Roughly 20 miles from Severna Park, the Bowie Baysox have been a key cog in an organization that has helped the Baltimore Orioles produce the top farm system in Major League Baseball.

Now in their 31st year as an Orioles minor league affiliate, the Baysox are a Double-A team stacked with talent. But when families come to a Baysox game, they are treated to more than baseball. Adam Pohl, director of marketing for the Bowie Baysox, said the Baysox experience is about the sport and everything outside of the game.

“You’re going to park right next to the ballpark and you’re going to park for free,” Pohl said. “And then you’re going to come in and pay for a ticket that, in a major league stadium if you got this ticket you’d be in those nosebleeds, and you’re going to be sitting right behind home plate. And you’re going to notice a much higher level of entertainment that is away from the baseball.

“So, it really is everything, from the free parking to how close you get to sit to the field, to whether you want to get autographs and talk to players, (and enjoy) fireworks after the game on many of our nights. The experience in general is really, really geared toward just being a great, affordable family night out.”

Double-A is two steps from the major leagues, so fans get to see many future Orioles at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. Since 2021, Baysox and future Orioles have included budding stars Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday, along with veterans including Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander and Austin Hays.

“It’s exciting because some of the players, when they were here, we kind of knew that they were on their way to being really great Oriole players, and some of them, we didn’t,” Pohl said. “And it’s so exciting to root for everyone’s journey. John Means was a pitcher here in Bowie for a long time who nobody, to be honest, thought would pitch a game in the major leagues, and look what he is. He’s an All-Star-level pitcher. He’s thrown a no-hitter and he’s an amazing guy.”

Families can see the next great Orioles firsthand, but there are also plenty of other activities during home games. One example of that is Sunday Family Fun Day.

“We open the gates 90 minutes early, and usually from 11:30am-noon, you can play catch in the outfield grass,” Pohl said. “We’ve got a few Baysox players every Sunday signing autographs. Obviously, there are a few Sundays where the whole team is (signing autographs). And then we have all fans run the bases after Sunday games. That’s an example, I think, of how we’re trying to move forward in a realm of giving people an experience that is more than just a game.”

That experience and the Orioles’ success helped attendance spike 34% from 2022 to 2023, according to Bowie Baysox General Manager Brian Shallcross.

“It’s always helpful if the Orioles are good, and they are building from within,” he said.

Another part of that experience is food and drinks. Shallcross said the Baysox have partnered with local options including Chesapeake Catering and Unique Food & Beverage.

“Our (last) agreement expired, so we partnered with someone local, not just a bean counter,” Shallcross said. “They really do care about customers. They are always looking to do things better.”

The Baysox are active in the community and will appear in the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce’s next Fourth of July parade. They are also finishing this year’s Read & Hit A Home Run Reading Program, overseen by Pohl’s marketing colleague Dani Fox. Through the program, each elementary and middle school student who reads four books can receive two free Bowie Baysox tickets. The 2024 numbers are not tallied, but in 2023, the Baysox had 58,000 kids participate in the reading program and the majority were in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties.

Whether it’s the reading program or Sunday Family Fun Day, the Baysox hope their initiatives are making the community a better place. With baseball and activities that transcend the sport, they want families to make fond memories.

“It’s really special to be involved in the community at that level,” Pohl said. “We’re trying to grow our outreach in the churches and do more for nonprofits in our area. That’s something that we have taken a major step forward with in the last two years, especially on the nonprofit side, but we still have some work to do. I think there is no doubt that we are heavily, heavily involved in the community.”