Second-largest college crowd opens new ballpark
MINNEAPOLIS - The first baseball game at the new outdoor stadium on the edge of downtown Minneapolis drew 36,056 people, curious to see the nation's newest major league ballpark.
On a mild late-in-March afternoon, the home-town fans saw much to delight the eye but little to cheer. The Minnesota Gophers fell hard to Louisiana Tech 9-1, one day after defeating the same team 3-2 at the Metrodome.
The first game played at Target Field, a short walk from the Target Center where the boys high-school basketball championships were being held, attracted a line of fans as early as 6 a.m., three hours before the gates opened. Each paid $2 which went to the Twins' Community Fund. The crowd, many milling about the concourses, bars, food shops and plazas, is the second-largest attendance for collegiate baseball game. The largest came on Mar. 11, 2004 when 40,106 fans saw San Diego State and Houston play at Petco Park in San Diego.
