The Ottawa Titans are back in town this weekend for their second homestand of the season. Coming off of a short road trip to New York State this week, the boys are home starting with a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday series against the Windy City Thunderbolts, and a Monday-Wednesday series with the Gateway Grizzlies. These will be our first times playing the Thunderbolts and Grizzlies this season, and both teams are coming into the weekend with better records than our 7-1o Titans.
The home opener on May 21 was memorable, with torrential rain and gale winds beginning an hour before the first pitch, delaying the game by an hour, with further rainy interruptions through the first half. A huge opening day crowd of over 3,000 strong stuck around in soggy seats to see the Titans take the game 7-6 with a dramatic walk-off hit by Jason Dicochea in the ninth inning. The following day was nearly as soggy, followed by a gloriously sunny Thursday afternoon game on the 23rd where the Titans took the rubber match in their series against the Tri-City ValleyCats.
Home opener crowds. Photo: Guy Godin
Some early season standouts are not taking us by surprise, with infielder AJ Wright hitting .373 so far with 11 walks and 14 RBI, putting him at 7th overall in the league offensively. Our team captain Jason Dicochea is not far behind at .345 and has been instrumental in bringing important runs. Our pitching has been reliable, a delightful change from last year’s disastrous first half when games were lost on the mound regularly.
This weekend, don’t miss Bark in the Park on Friday night when you can bring your furry friend to the game to enjoy the fresh air and snacks. There will be giveaways and promotions for the doggos, and you need to buy them their own special ticket! You can sit anywhere in the stands with your little buddy, which is a delight for those of us without dogs to bring. Saturday night is Pride Night, to kick off Pride Month. I’m not sure what will be going on, but they are promising an inclusive and welcoming environment, which is always a positive statement to make, especially in these historically exclusive places. Sunday is Cappy’s Birthday, and there will be a bouncy castle for kids who can also run the bases after the game. Next Thursday the 6th is Decades Night, which the team promotes as a chance to “travel to the ‘60s, ‘90s and ‘10s” throughout the game. So, maybe that means cool music? Costumes? We’ll have to go and check it out. Get your tickets in advance to save money!
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- Jackie Urbaez. Photo: Guy Godin
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- Mr Señor birria tacos. Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki
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- Tyler Jandon. Photo: Guy Godin
The food at the park is pretty great this year, and I have to give a special shout-out to the team at Mr Señor, along the first base line on the concourse putting out some truly excellent Mexican food. The birria tacos for $7 each are super beefy, cheesy and delicious. The taco salad is huge and fresh with chicken or beef, and on weekends they make fresh horchata—a perfectly sweetened creamy treat.
When it heats up, you can get lemonade from Mr Señor, or ice cream and freezies from Lois ‘N Frima’s near the Hop Yard in left field. For a bit of a deeper dive into the season and the stadium, check this out.
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Advance tickets for Titans games are $12 or $16 and can be bought online or at the box office. Expect to pay $4 more on game days, regardless of where you buy them. Parking is through Indigo parking, so there are QR codes throughout the lot to pay by phone.
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