Monday night, I had the opportunity to catch another Tidewater Summer League game and experience a new ballpark in Norfolk. Well, the ballpark isn’t new, just new to me – Azalea Little League. The Tidewater Summer League’s Coastal Cockatoos were taking on the Norfolk Spartans at 7pm at the fields off Azalea Garden Road, and with the weather cooperating 1000%, I was psyched for game time. So, Rachel and I took the short 5 mile ride from our home down VA Beach Blvd, passed a row of distribution warehouses, and into the sports complex that houses the Azalea Little League.
The weather forecast for this week is hot, humid, tropical, oppressive heat starting Wednesday and running through the July 4th weekend. Monday was seasonably hot but not anywhere near tropical or oppressive heat wise. So, it was a great night for baseball fans, players, coaches, and kids of all ages to enjoy a night at the ballpark. Rachel and I arrived just prior to First Pitch, heard the National Anthem play, and so I could snag a few pre-game photos of the field and fan experience. First pitch was right about 7pm as scheduled.
As the first inning progressed, a nice crowd had gathered at Azalea Little League’s Field 1. Some fans brought their own lawn chairs, others stood and conversed about baseball and life topics, and many found seating next to their team’s dugout. The Cockatoos, clad in bright yellow uniforms, were the home team. The Spartans in more traditional white baseball pants and blue shirts were the visiting team, batting first. The game had the feel of a high school, youth sports game – meaning the majority of fans had a personal connection to one or more players. Counter that with the typical MILB or MLB game, where the stadium entertainment is all the rage and fans are more casual to the players on the field, than personal. Translation – the fans were into it from the 1st inning and cheered like it meant something to them.
I spent a few innings next to the Spartans dugout (first base) before walking around a bit to get some different views of the field and game. There was a DJ at the game pumping in music in between innings and for the Cockatoos batters coming to the plate. Music at a ballgame, whether it is Fenway Park or Azalea Little League Field 1, makes a huge difference in the energy level of the fan experience. In radio terms, it breaks up the “dead air” silence that most community ballparks tend to have in between innings. Plus, I liked that the batters were introduced as they came up to bat. That helps for fans who are not familiar with the players, like myself.
As I was watching the game from the first base bleachers area, I noticed the Head Coach of the Norfolk State Spartans baseball team arrive. Coach M.L. Morgan casually walked into the fan area and proceeded down past the first base dugout out of sight. I took a moment to head down to where Coach was standing to let him know how awesome it was to see NSU baseball doing so well under his leadership. Nice guy, we spoke for a bit, and I could sense he was perhaps scouting a player or two, so I left him be. Norfolk State baseball was an incredible story in 2026 and I believe the future is very bright for the NSU Spartans team.
After runs were exchanged in the first inning, it was a pretty competitive game between the Cockatoos and Spartans. After building a 3-1 lead, a towering home run over the centerfield fence bumped up the crowd and the score for the Cockatoos, who would eventually win the game 5-1. Here is the game score update from the Coastal Cockatoos Instagram page:
When Rachel and I left around the 5th inning, the crowd hadn’t thinned out much and the energy level of the fans was still pretty high. I stopped in at a beautiful memorial just outside the field area to observe a plaque for player and coach Patricia “Pat” Handy. The American flag was waving in the night breeze just above the plaque. Nice tribute.
I had a blast checking out some Tidewater Summer League baseball action Monday night. Monday’s game featured the Coastal Cockatoos vs. the Norfolk Spartans at Field 1 of the Azalea Little League complex off Azalea Garden Road in Norfolk. With ORF, Norfolk International Airport, just a few streets away, planes were seeing flying over for most of the game. The weather was ideal for baseball playing and baseball fans watching alike. I loved checking out this Norfolk sports complex, it was my first time at Azalea LL, and I was super impressive with the field conditions and the fan experience. Overall, it was an awesome Tidewater Summer League experience checking out the Cockatoos and Spartans at Azalea Little League Complex, Norfolk, VA, USA.
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