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Baseball and Softball Stay in Syracuse at Hopkins Road Park Baseball and Softball Stay in Syracuse at Hopkins Road Park

By Michael O'Connor

MICHAEL O’CONNOR: No peanuts. No cracker jacks. And no crowd. In fact, it may seem like there are a lot of noes here at Hopkins Road Park, but don’t let that fool you. Just up the road is Sports Center 481, which manages the baseball and softball park. Assistant general manager Chris Cafalone says the park has been a staple in the community.

CHRIS CAFALONE: The county has always been involved with baseball and softball ever since Hopkins Road was developed and built.

O’CONNOR: The park was set to be replaced by the new Salina Sports Complex. But with its 25-million-dollar budget set aside for Micron, those plans will have to wait another year. Cafalone says the postponement will allow his Sports Zone Baseball Academy to roll out nearly 30 additional tournaments at the park.

CAFALONE: You’re bringing in 20 – 25 teams every weekend. And not only are they local, but also, they gotta stay in the hotels – they gotta eat in our restaurants and all that. So, the financial impact is very important.

O’CONNOR: For athletes like Connor Smith, the fields have a different meaning.

CONNOR SMITH: It’s just convenient. Everything is close and it makes it easy.

O’CONNOR: From Smith’s perspective, it doesn’t matter if they call it the Hopkins Road Park or the Salina Sports Complex.

SMITH: As long as they keep sports in Syracuse like I’m happy with that.

O’CONNOR: For now, baseball and softball are going to be staying right here at the Hopkins Road Park, starting with the Salt City Pumpkin cup on Saturday. In Syracuse, Michael O’Connor, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Hopkins Road Park is here to stay – for now.

The facility was originally set to be taken over by the Salina Sports Complex – a $25 million project that would  replace the baseball and softball diamonds with soccer and lacrosse fields. But, when the Onondaga County Legislature passed its 2023 Annual Budget, the project was put on hold for at least another year.

Chris Cafalone, the Assistant General Manager at Sports Zone, says there’s some good in the delay.

“Obviously, it would have been a plus, not only to the county but for the Northeast, to have that facility,” Cafalone said. “But with what we do here at Salt City Sports, we’re bringing in more and more outside competition for our baseball and softball tournaments at Hopkins Road.”

A sign welcomes visitors to Hopkins Road Park
Hopkins Road Park currently features five softball fields and a fenced baseball field.
© 2022 Michael O'Connor

Salt City Sports is a subsidiary of Sports Zone, which manages the fields at the park.

Cafalone says he thinks that while the Salina Sports Complex would’ve been impactful, there’s still value in keeping baseball and softball at Hopkins Road Park.

“The financial opportunity of having Hopkins Road for baseball and softball is enormous,” Cafalone said.

For athletes like Connor Smith who simply want to play sports, the postponement meets a crucial need.

“As long as they keep sports in Syracuse I’m happy with that,” Smith said.

Until the Onondaga County Legislature officially re-allocates funds towards the Salina Sports Complex, Hopkins Road Park is here to stay.

For more information on upcoming baseball and softball tournaments at the facility, visit the official Salt City Sports website.

The next tournament at Hopkins Road Park is the Salt City Sports Pumpkin Cup this Saturday.

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