Waterloo Bucks Making Improvements To Riverfront Stadium [Gallery]

When the Waterloo Bucks begin their 21st season of Northwoods League baseball next month, fans should expect a different atmosphere at Riverfront Stadium.

Team officials want to create the best-possible experience for fans coming to the ballpark, either for a game or another event. To create a strong vibe, some improvement work is being done at the stadium now so the upgrades will be finished in time for the Bucks' home opener on May 28, 2015.

The Cedar Rapids Ball Club, which owns the Cedar Rapids Kernels Class-A minor league team, purchased the Waterloo franchise on Sept. 29. The team's new ownership group is spending nearly $70,000 on six separate improvement projects in an effort to enhance the fan experience at Riverfront this summer, according to Bucks General Manager Dan Corbin.

"In the meetings preparing for the 2015 season," he said, "it was apparent that we needed to invest some money into the ballpark to help with some of the dreams we have, and what we think we can make Waterloo Bucks baseball."

Some of the stadium upgrades will be visible during games; some will not be.

The most noticeable project is a new coat of blue paint on the stadium's old green bleachers. Contract workers have been busy painting the rows of benches on the third- and first-base sides. When finished, most of the stadium's seats will have the Bucks' dominate team color.

"Along with that (bleacher painting), we're redesigning our leftfield lounge to make it more a group outing area," Corbin said.

An L-shaped sidewalk and a new serving station are being added to the leftfield lounge. The area will feature picnic tables that provide more seating for groups or families during games.

According to Corbin, team officials are committed to providing the best customer service possible throughout the stadium, which includes the concession stands. Aging equipment used to cook food and serve beverages has been replaced throughout the ballpark.

"The team has invested a substantial amount of money into new concessions equipment," Corbin said. "The investment will help with customer service and make our concessions even better."

Fans attending games this summer will notice redesigned tickets booths at the main enterance of Riverfront Stadium. A new window has been added to the front of each room, bringing the total number to four. On big-crowd nights, Corbin said all four ticket windows will be used in an effort to shorten the lines of people needing to buy a ticket.

Other stadium improvements include a new sound system and upgrades to the WiFi service.

On the field, the Bucks are hoping to have another successful summer. Waterloo has been the winningest summer collegiate team in the country over the past two years, recording 96 victories.

In October, team officials announced a change in field managers for the Bucks when they promoted Tony Manville to replace Travis Kiewiet. Manville served as the team's pitching coach under Kiewiet the past two years. Kiewiet decided not to return to the position he'd held since 2012, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

The Bucks open their season on the road May 26th, playing a two-game series against the Alexandria Blue Anchors in Minnesota. Waterloo hosts the Mankato MoonDogs in the May 28th home-opener at Riverfront Stadium.