COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps’ 2022 season came to a close back on September 11, but that didn’t mean activity at LMCU Ballpark ground to a halt. The day after the baseball season ended, electrical crews got to work upgrading the ballpark’s field lights to state-of-the-art LED
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps’ 2022 season came to a close back on September 11, but that didn’t mean activity at LMCU Ballpark ground to a halt. The day after the baseball season ended, electrical crews got to work upgrading the ballpark’s field lights to state-of-the-art LED lighting, which will keep LMCU Ballpark illuminated for all games and special events moving forward.
Fans and players will notice the improvements immediately when the 2023 season begins on Thursday, April 6. For the players, the effect will be brighter, more even lighting across the entire field, while meeting the facility standards for Major League Baseball affiliate teams set in place by the Player Development License signed in 2021. For the fans, the lights will now be part of the entertainment, with the capability of turning them off and on, changing colors and syncing to music.
The new system delivers light more precisely than the previous lights, leading to a brighter field and more crisp viewing experience with less glare and less light pollution, making it better for players and fans, drivers along US-131, the local community and the environment.
Whitecaps Vice President and General Manager Jim Jarecki said the lights are going to be a game changer.
“This is a win-win for everyone,” Jarecki said. “The Whitecaps players will play under the best lighting conditions possible, with reduced glare and improved ball tracking. The team reduces energy consumption and helps the environment, and the fans get drama and excitement with the field lights now being part of the in-game and post-game entertainment. With the Show-Light Entertainment Package, the field lights allow for advanced light shows that will heighten the excitement level at every Whitecaps night game, from full field lighting to dimming to color options to light shows. Unlike the old lighting system, the new field lights can be turned on and off with a flip of the switch in one second, and include all the bells and whistles like light-to-sound programming for light shows – an investment for all and a game changer for all!”
The lights can be programmed with different colors and frequencies to create special effects, which will be put in use by syncing them to music and creating victory celebration sequences. These special effects are something that Whitecaps Promotions and Fan Entertainment Manager Ben Love looks forward to as he echoes Jarecki’s excitement.
“The new LED Lights will enhance the Whitecaps gameday experience in numerous ways,” Love said. “From putting a new twist on old favorites like the Dino Dance, to celebrating home runs, big plays and victories like never before, the new LED will be taking the Whitecaps gameday experience to the next level. I can’t wait to see the excitement when the colored lights sync to music for the first time!”
Musco Sports Lighting, an industry leader in sports lighting that has its systems in stadiums and arenas throughout the world, provided the lights for the two-and-a-half-week installation project. The project included the retrofitting of six stadium light poles to hold 118 LED lights, along with control panels and cabling for communication to wireless controls. Musco is using its Total Light Control-TLC for LED™ technology which pairs its expertise in light control with the advancing output of LED to conserve massive amounts of energy. These LED lights, the most up-to-date sports lighting package available, replace metal halide lights that were installed at the ballpark prior to the 2016 season.
Fans can see the lights in action at LMCU Ballpark starting on Thursday, April 6, when the 30th season opens with a 6:35 p.m. game against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Multi-game ticket plans and group tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.whitecapsbaseball.com or by calling the Whitecaps at 616-784-4131.