BARONS FEST AT REGIONS FIELD

UAB will play 21 home games at Regions Field this spring, including today's 4 p.m. season opener against UT-Martin. (Joe Songer/jsonger@al.com).

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Baseball at Regions Field begins earlier this season.

Last year, UAB and the Birmingham Barons reached an agreement for the Blazers to play as many games as possible during the season at Regions Field. This season, all but nine UAB home games will be at Regions Field, in its second year of existence. The others - conference series later this season against FIU, Southern Miss and Tulane, will be on campus at Young Memorial Field.

UAB opens the season today at 4 p.m. against UT-Martin. Twenty-one of UAB's home games will be at Regions Field. Most will take place before the Barons open their season in April.

"Kids are thrilled about it," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "I think it's a potentially, incredibly good thing. The impact on who's coming and what it does to the crowd, I guess time will tell. Weather will have something to do with it too.

"We're hoping that people who love baseball, love the Barons and love Regions Field will come enjoy the Blazers too."

The move to Regions Field has also impacted recruits. UAB will use the visitor's locker room at Regions Field, which has been painted with UAB logos.

"I've never taken a young man and a family on a tour there where they weren't wowed," Shoop said. "Every one of them. I don't know if that's a difference maker, but it's certainly a plus in recruiting."

UAB had a dress rehearsal practice last weekend at Regions Field.

"The venue and the atmosphere is just 100 times better," UAB pitcher Chase Mallard said.

From UAB athletics, single-game tickets at Regions Field are $7 for adults, $5 for youth. An individual season ticket, which includes all 30 home games, is $40. A family plan season ticket, which includes two adults and two youth, is $95.

There will be restricted seating at the ballpark. Seating locations are from Section 113 on the first base side to the right-field corner on the third-base side.

All public access will be through the west entrance off 14th Street South. Gates will open 90 minutes prior to the scheduled game time.