For the MSU students who stay in East Lansing during the summer, finding something to do is not as easy when a majority of the student body is away from campus.
For sports fans who find themselves looking for something to do during the summer, going to a Lansing Lugnuts game is a fine option for a fun night.
Journalism senior Luke Ferris knew about the Lugnuts from just being a sports fan but said driving past Cooley Law School Stadium and the team’s social media pages connected him to the team.
Ferris decided to check out a game one summer when he stayed in East Lansing.
“It was very relaxing. The environment was welcoming and entertaining,” Ferris said. “The stands aren’t always packed so some nights you can literally put your feet up and enjoy a summer evening in Lansing.”
For Ferris, the Lugnuts games present an opportunity to go out and enjoy a live professional sporting event at an affordable price.
“Tickets and food are cheap so it’s very affordable to enjoy a sporting event,” Ferris said. “I usually go with my cousin and it was time for us to connect and enjoy a baseball game without the stress of logistics and cash that it sometimes takes when you go to a Tigers game.”
Kinesiology freshman Guadalupe Alvarez III grew up in Lansing and has been going to games for years, even spending a birthday with the team.
"(A) memory that sticks with me from the Lugnuts (games) would be going for my birthday one time a couple years back,” Alvarez said. “The organization gave me a ball signed by Big Lug and the players as a gift, then later in the game I caught a foul ball with my bare hand.”
With recent improvements to the stadium Alvarez believes the experience of going to a game continues to improve.
“I would totally recommend it to people who are in town. They just upgraded the stadium to make it more of a modern-day stadium. It’s a break from school, work and you can get free memorabilia,” Alvarez said. “(There’s) more of a professional stadium feel to the environment now, which I think makes the experience better every time I go.”
Supply chain management junior Curtis Hatfield has also been attending Lugnuts games for years with his grandparents, who live in Lansing. Hatfield always enjoyed the games and now he sees them as an opportunity to hang out with coworkers or a possible venue for date.
“My favorite thing is how close you can get to the players, everyone feels on top of the field and close to the action,” Hatfield said. “At this point, I like to go with people from work, $2 beer night is fun and I think we will go again next year. I also might take my girlfriend there this summer.”
Alvarez also sees Lugnuts games as the perfect place to go for Fourth of July celebrations.
“What’s more American than going to a baseball game eating a hot dog and watching fireworks on the Fourth of July?” Alvarez said.
