Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Baseball fans in Beloit are flocking to ABC Supply Stadium to root, root, root for their home team: the Beloit Sky Carp of the Midwest League. As many of them find, a day at the ballpark isn’t just peanuts and Cracker Jack. It’s a gateway to everything downtown.

By Jim Taylor, managing editor // Photography by Samantha Behling

The sun is shining, and Josh Flickinger is beaming. It’s a beautiful day for baseball in Beloit.

“Weather is never more important than on our 66 home games,” says Flickinger, director of public relations and broadcasting for the Beloit Sky Carp, a professional baseball team in Beloit that serves as the High A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins.

Rain on the previous day led to a doubleheader on this day. Flickinger started his day pulling a tarp off the field.

“Every day is different, which keeps it fresh,” he says.

On any given game day, Flickinger can be found printing up stat packs and rosters, keeping the media and coaches – home and visiting teams – in the loop.

“Anything that has to do with providing information about the team, I’m the guy who takes care of it,” he says.

On this day, Ohio’s Dayton Dragons are in town, playing Beloit for the first time since the Sky Carp assumed their current moniker in November 2021.

The Dragons, High A affiliate to the Cincinnati Reds, are also visiting the Sky Carps’ home field, ABC Supply Stadium, 217 Shirland Ave., for the very first time.

“A lot of the players had their phones out yesterday, saying, ‘Wow, we haven’t seen this before,’” says Flickinger.

The stadium, completed in 2021, offers views for days, with state-of-the-art amenities that make it one of the Midwest League’s most popular places to play. The park’s $37 million price was paid, in part, by Diane Hendricks, owner of ABC Supply, a Beloit-based supplier of building products.

“We’re blessed to have a ballpark like this to play in,” says Flickinger. “People are still discovering it for the first time and saying, ‘I can’t believe that this is here.’ It’s very gratifying.”

Pre- and Post-Game Prep

For many fans, a ball game doesn’t start at the ballpark. ABC Supply Stadium’s location between the Rock River and City Hall puts it right in the midst of Beloit’s downtown, where a bevy of delicious food and drink options, as well as charming local boutiques, await. With more than 180 businesses to browse through, variety is the name of the game.

Burger fans will want to belly up to Lucy’s #7 Burger Bar, 430 E. Grand Ave. The Beloit original stuffs its burgers with Wisconsin cheese and reserves its taps for Wisconsin beer only. The bar is named after Lucy Winslow, a fictional Beloit native who, the story goes, became a popular pinup girl during the 1940s. One of her portraits, and the flag she supposedly wore in it, hang on the wall.

Just down the road, at 443 E. Grand Ave., Truk’t is serving up street tacos and other bold flavors from around the world. Diners can wash down their food with unique craft cocktails or make a selection from the extensive tequila and whiskey menu. When the weather is perfect for baseball, visitors can enjoy their meal on the patio, hail fellow Sky Carp fans and indulge their sweet tooth with desserts like the strawberry shortcake bunuelos.

Speaking of sugary treats, Flying Pig Treat Shop, 431 E. Grand Ave., is chock-full of them. A wall of grab and bag candy awaits anyone wanting a sugar rush while another wall boasts dozens of flavors of gourmet popcorn. The wide assortment of popcorn flavors, however, is dwarfed by the hundreds of varieties of shaved ice. The refreshing, slushy confection is the product that started it all for Flying Pig, which began with serving shaved ice from a food truck in Roscoe, Ill., before moving to a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Beloit.

Anyone who wants to wear their love for Beloit on their sleeve should head to Walnut Creek, 408 E. Grand Ave. In addition to unique gifts and ready-to-wear apparel featuring everything from the Sky Carp to Beloit College to Taylor Swift, Walnut Creek also offers custom screen print and embroidery options as well as laser engraving and full color sublimation for anyone who wants to create a personalized custom design.

Many fans who come out for a game will park their vehicles downtown, enjoy a meal or some shopping, then stroll to the game. There’s plenty of parking for everyone, both at the stadium and downtown.

The best part is that parking is free, so there’s no need to fret over a post-game snack or nightcap – or feeding a meter while you’re watching an action-packed game.

Fun and Fans are the Focus

Inside ABC Supply Stadium, fans find even more food options. All of the ball game standards are there, from peanuts and Cracker Jack to hot dogs, corn dogs, nachos and brats.

The one thing fans won’t find is an obstructed seat. All 3,500 seats in the park offer a clear view of the action and, when something worthy of a replay happens, fans can check it out on a 40-by-40-foot high-definition video screen.

“I love the 360 concourse,” says Flickinger. “People can grab a great seat anywhere, but they can also roam around.”

Each game offers a different experience, with theme nights being a popular draw. Fans can enjoy discounted beer on Thirsty Thursdays while kids under 12 can run the bases after a Sunday Family Fun Day game. Waggin’ One Price Wednesday lets fans fetch their canine friend and bring them to a game.

“We have a lot of fun in between innings and a lot of promotions,” says Flickinger. “We have a huge emphasis on customer service. We give out surveys after every game, and we take those answers very seriously. We’re very fan-friendly and fan-focused.”

The Sky Carp Fly High

As members of the Midwest League, the Sky Carp battle against 11 other teams, all High-A affiliates of other Major League teams.

“We’re three steps from the big leagues,” explains Flickinger. “Sometimes those three steps can happen in a year.”

Right-handed pitcher Ike Buxton has been part of the Sky Carp organization since last season. Originally from Sun Valley, Idaho, Buxton was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2022 and is enjoying his time as a Sky Carp.

“We have a great staff here who treat us right,” says Buxton. “It’s been really fun to call Beloit home.”

As someone who is relatively new to the region, Buxton has enjoyed getting to know his current home city. “It’s been great,” he says. “I haven’t spent much time in the Midwest, so it’s been great to explore a different part of the country.”

Between games, Buxton has sampled a few restaurants and says Lucy’s #7 Burger Bar and Zen Sushi are standouts. When asked about his favorite part of ABC Supply Stadium, he’s quick to mention the playing surface.

“I always love playing on turf,” he says. “It’s nice and consistent with nice, easy hops for the infielders.”

He also enjoys playing for the Sky Carp faithful.

“It’s really fun to pitch when there’s a big crowd,” he says.

For Flickinger, who also does play-by-play for local broadcasts, the Bally Live app and MiLB TV, the quality of the game is just as important as the stadium where it’s played.

“I’m confident that, in a few years, you’ll see a few players from today playing for the Marlins against the Reds,” he says. “These guys are closer than you think to the big leagues, which is fun for the baseball dorks like me.”

As the Sky Carp take the field for their first of two games, fans cheer and dogs woof their approval. The sun shines as the first pitch is thrown. It is, indeed, a great day for baseball.