GoMart Ballpark
Appalachian Power Park is the current home field for the West Virginia Power, a minor league baseball team in the South Atlantic League and a Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, and also one of two home fields for the baseball programs of both Marshall University and the University of Charleston. The stadium, which opened in April 2005, is located in the East End of Charleston, West Virginia, just outside the city's downtown. It seats 4,500 fans.
The park also hosts the West Virginia state high school baseball championships. It is also the home field for Marshall conference games, because the school does not have an adequate baseball facility on its campus located 50 miles away. It plays its non-conference games on campus.
The stadium has also hosted concerts and shown television coverage of college football games on its scoreboard.
Appalachian Power is the West Virginia and western Virginia operating unit of American Electric Power, which paid for the naming rights.
One unique feature of the park is an electrical outlet located in the backstop behind home plate. This was added to accommodate local businessman Rod Blackstone, nicknamed the "Toast Man," who has become one of the most famous fans in minor league baseball. Blackstone brings numerous signs to urge the team on, and regularly leads the crowd in (family-friendly) cheers. He is most famous for bringing bread and a toaster to games, which he had done for years for the Power's predecessors. When a Power pitcher strikes out a batter, he screams "You are toast! T-O-A-S-T!" and then tosses slices of fresh toast into the seats around him.