A new scoreboard at Bowman Field adds to the park experience | News, Sports, Jobs

Some would say it’s been a long time coming, jumping hurdles and getting town council discussions and debates across.

As other ballparks began to have state-of-the-art video board technology that kept baseball fans in tune with plays and provided business opportunities, Williamsport’s own Muncy Bank Park at Historic Bowman Field can finally pretend it has a dashboard with all the trappings. the old version did not have.

“It provides a much better experience for fans,” said Gabe Sinicropi, vice president and chief marketing officer for the Williamsport Crosscutters, the team that plays home games there and a member of the Major League Baseball Draft League.

Crosscutters camera operator Courtney Skelton films game action as the ‘Cutters play against the Frederick Keys at Muncy Bank Ballpark, July 11, 2022. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The dashboard, which costs around $700,000, looks a lot like a large television set controlled from the press box by operator Justin Hawkins, production manager.

Hawkins, who is a full-time production manager for the Cutters, handles orders overseeing seating and the playing field.

He also said the Cutters were also on social media with Cutters on Deck.

The board, created by Daktronics, is a far cry from the old board, which tended to break down.

This has advanced capabilities.

A Crosscutters pitcher pitches a Mahoning Valley Black Bears player during a late game recently at Muncy Bank Ballpark. The new scoreboard was installed at Bowman Field ahead of the start of the 2022 season. This new scoreboard gives fans of the games a lot of different information and videos both in-game and pre-game compared to what was available before it was there. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun Gazette

The cameras are on the pitch and in the stands and the video card can show the action live, including when Sinicropi is working the crowd between innings.

The table provides fans with a clear overview of the player at bat, with statistics and is able to show advertisements and broadcast TV channels.

The ballpark experience is now much richer with the addition of the new scoreboard screen, said team photographer Dave Kennedy. Pre-game interviews, video clips from previous games add to the spectacle the ‘Cutters can present to their fans. Every day a new pre-match show called “The first step”, which is hosted by Sinicropi, gives fans a look at past games, in-game promotions for that night and upcoming special events for the week at the ballpark, Kennedy added.

The addition of the screen system isn’t just a way to display in-game hits, runs, and errors; it adds a full multimedia experience for anyone at Muncy Bank Park, Kennedy said.

The scoreboard was funded by a grant from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program which was requested by State Senator Gene Yaw of R-Loyalsock Township.

The Cutters as a team contributed $100,000 towards the cost of the video card, believing it to be such a vital upgrade needed for fans and teams playing in the league.

These grants are provided through the Budget Office and are used for economic development and job creation purposes.