SPRINGDALE, AR — The Northwest Arkansas Naturals baseball team may have been the relocated Texas League/Double-A affiliate for the Kansas City Royals, but officials wanted to give their new home team a major-league welcome with a new ballpark that opened in 2008.
The 6,500-seat ballpark was designed by HOK Sport Venue Event, the architectural firm behind most of the MLB baseball venues that have opened since the early 1990s. The park’s sound system includes EAW MK2300 and MK5300 Series loudspeakers, and a KF750 high output line array that uses EAW’s V4 Technology.
The system was installed by Springdale-based Commercial Audio Systems (www.comaudsys.com) and specified by Gary White of Dallas-based AV systems consultant WJHW (www.wjhw.com).
Among its other accolades, Arvest Ballpark was named 2008 Ballpark of the Year by ballparks.com, even though it was completed in a relatively speedy time frame — 13 months from undeveloped pasture to the venue’s opening day last April.
In January 2008, Commercial Audio Systems came in to install the PA system: 21 MK2326WP Weather Protected 2-Way Full-Range Installation Loudspeakers featuring 12-inch woofers, 23 MK5326WP Weather Protected 2-Way Full-Range Installation Loudspeakers with 15-inch woofers and a pair of KF750 High Output Array Loudspeakers. These focusable components were assembled into a large, distributed system, which covered all areas of spectator seating without spilling over into the neighboring houses.
The “WP” designation indicates weather protection, and Jim Crews, co-owner and president of Commercial Audio Systems, noted that it was put to the test as the speakers were installed.
“Typical of a baseball stadium to be hanging speakers at a height of over 50 feet in 20-degree weather, and with sleet and snow blowing at 40 m.p.h.,” Crews recalled. “This installation required quality, reliability and of course the delivery of great sound, and EAW was able to meet all three criteria easily,” Crews added. “We’ve used them in other sports venue installations, and they’re definitely a pleasure to work with.”
For more information, please visit www.eaw.com.
