Fifth-Third Field
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several professional clubs that have existed in Toledo since 1883. The name “Mud Hens” was first used in 1896, after the team was bought by Charles Strobel. One of the two parks where the team played that year, Bay View Park, was adjacent to marshland which was inhabited by American Coots, also known as marsh hens or mud hens, from which the team adopted their name.
Since 1928 Torrence Sound of Perrysburg, Ohio has been a recognized name in the design, installation and maintenance of large venue sound and public address systems in northwest Ohio. The company’s local installation experience includes a variety of different venues, including: UT Glassbowl, BGSU Doyt Perry Stadium, Lucas County Arena, The Masonic Auditorium currently named The Stranahan Theater, Doermann Theatre, Nitzchke Auditorium, , and many more. Adding to their extensive record, Torrence Sound was recently chosen to provide the material and install the music and public address sound systems for the new Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio, a 10,000 seat, state-of-the-art AAA Ballpark in the Warehouse District of downtown Toledo the new home of the Toledo Mud Hens.
Torrence Sound Lead Project Engineer and RCDD, Paul Taylor, and Torrence Administrative Project Manager, Phil Ziemke spec’d the job with Electro-Voice Sx Series loudspeakers primarily for their clarity, excellent directivity and weather resistance. The main seating area features a distributed system of (171) Sx300PIX loudspeakers and (80) smaller JBL Control series loudspeakers that provide speaker densities that vary from Sx300(s) every 12 feet for short-throw listening areas and every 26 feet for long-throw areas the distributed loudspeakers are powered by 17 CX Series amplifiers from QSC.. “One of the great things about this system is that no listener in a main seating area is any farther than 40 feet from an Sx300PIX that makes for an incredible audio experience!” remarks Taylor.
“There aren’t a lot of choices out there when you go looking for a high performance constant voltage amplifier,” Taylor says of his decision to go with the CX Series products. “We wanted the best quality amp we could get, and that’s what QSC provided. Compared to competitive offerings, the line also gave us a package size which enabled us to fit everything into two racks instead of three.”
“Sound at Fifth Third Field has improved dramatically over that heard at the Mud Hens’ previous home,” notes Paul Taylor. “Prior to moving, hearing anything from the old ball park’s aging central cluster was basically a matter of whichever way the wind blew. If you were seated downwind, maybe the sound was intelligible. Anywhere else, forget it.”
The new rig built by Torrence Sound debuted before fans on April 9th as the Mud Hens took on the Norfolk Tides. “Now, there’s no question that everyone can hear,” Paul Taylor adds. “The voice announcements are clear and articulate, and the effects really draw attention. The performance is so good, in fact, the ballpark might want to turn it down a tad once in a while. I believe they’re still thinking in terms of the old stadium, where the capability of turning things up really wasn’t available.”
The ballpark includes 28 private suites and 1,000 club level seats that span from first base
to third base. Home to the Mud Hens, the team is scheduled to play 72 home games at Fifth Third Field, with the final game of the season on Labor Day.
