The Raptors, which debuted in 2019, are quite the tradition in Ridgefield and for all Southwest Washington baseball fans
Paul Valencia
Clark County Today
The team on the field is a winner — with four consecutive postseason appearances.
Off the field, the Ridgefield Raptors continue with a winning strategy, as well.
“Being here since the beginning has given us a chance to not only put out a good product that the community can be proud of, it also gives us a chance to keep growing,” said Gus Farah, general manager.
After every season, it is his job to look at ways to improve the ballpark experience for the fans.
It must be working.
“We keep paying attention … to the gathering that happens here,” Farah said of the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.
A year ago, the team averaged close to 1,500 fans a game.
This season, which begins Thursday with a non-league home game against rival Cowlitz, there are 35 home games scheduled for the RORC, up from 32 last year.
The Raptors are ready.
Fans are getting ready for some fun promotions and new food. Pork, chicken, and mac and cheese are coming to the RORC via Rally’s food truck. Rally, of course, is the mascot for the Raptors.
On select nights 8 Cow Creamery will have its truck stationed at the RORC, with delicious ice cream options..
Look for kettle corn to be cooked on site. Better yet, smell that kettle corn.
Among the promotions, there will be craft beer nights on June 12 and July 26. On July 9, it’s the second annual local winery night. Six local wineries will be serving their best.
Long-time Raptor fans might recall the team had a fireworks night on the initial opening night, back in 2019. While it looked fine, the fireworks were not a hit with the ground crew at the RORC.
This year, the Raptors believe they have found a post-game show in the sky that will also be awe-inspiring. There will be a drone show on July 25, with the theme of baseball and Southwest Washington.
Also, $3 Tuesdays are back with general admission tickets, hot dogs, nachos, and some beers only $3 each.
For a list of all promotions this season, go to: https://ridgefieldraptors.com/promo-schedule/
On the field, the leaders of the Raptors will be back. Chris Cota is the only head coach the franchise has ever had, and the college baseball coach from California will once again spend his summer in the Northwest. His assistant coach, Nick Allen, is the head coach of the Ridgefield High School team. They have been together in the summers since 2019.
“It’s a big deal,” Farah said of having those two back on staff. “We know what we’ve got. They’ve been able to produce. The kids play and develop every year. They expect accountability. They also have a way to build a great culture where the kids like playing for them.”
Joining them this year on staff is pitching coach Jaren Hunter, a former Raptor.
This year’s start to the season is a bit different. Yes, the Raptors have their usual home game on Thursday against the Cowlitz Black Bears — the first in the Columbia Cup series — but then the Raptors will hit the road for the first weekend of the West Coast League season. They usually are home this first weekend. This means fans have to go to Thursday’s game to watch the Raptors at home this week.
The Raptors will return home the following Tuesday to open WCL play with a three-game series against the Marion Berries, a new team from Marion County based in Salem, Ore.
The 2025 season gets started Thursday. To help celebrate, the Raptors are giving Rally towels to the first 300 fans who show up to opening night.
For tickets and more information on the Raptors, go to: https://ridgefieldraptors.com/
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