New Jersey Jackals 2026

*This trip occurred on May 20, 2026.

2025 was not a great year for the New Jersey Jackals. Sure, they did win the one time I saw them, but that win was one of only 28 for the year - a good TEN wins behind the next worst team. Throw in the continued attendance woes (which seemingly go back to the end of their time in Montclair), and it really feels like things aren't looking good for a once proud independent baseball team.

However, the team was sold to the guy behind for the Hinchliffe Stadium renovation in the offseason, and under new ownership, it's hoped that SOMETHING can turn around for the franchise. With that in mind, however, I was curious to see if there were any changes to the gameday experience with the new ownership (partially based on how things were for the Cosmos, since they're also owned by the same person).

My original hope was to go to a game on May 10 (yes, it’s Mother’s Day, but my mom was on vacation). However, I could not figure out if the game was at 2 or 6:30 (which makes a HUGE difference because Paterson), and between that and other factors, I ended up not being able to go. Many of the team's weekday games in the early part of this season, however, are at 10:30 in the morning (which is kinda weird)¹, so I figured one of those would be worth a shot, and the stars aligned for this to be the day (the morning start is also part of why this post is going up the same day as the game itself).

One thing I very much wanted to see this time: the museum. I found out that for Jackals games, it's apparently only open between the time the gates open and first pitch (i.e. one hour), so I figured that I should try and focus on that before the game (as opposed to visiting the team store and/or concession stands). It's not that big mind you, but it does delve into the history of the stadium and the Negro Leagues quite a bit - along with Paterson's most famous son: Larry Doby. It also features its own little merchandise shop with t-shirts, books, and pins, so if you're interested in learning a little bit more about Hinchliffe/the Negro Leagues, it may be worth checking out pregame.

Unlike my trips to see the Boulders and Miners (who just so happened to be the visiting team today²), I didn't try and buy a front row seat...because every seat is now sold as general admission.

A front row seat here (which has a surprisingly nice view as you can see from the photo above) costs the same as a seat in the outfield, which is definitely interesting; of course, when it's 90 degrees and sunny, being so exposed in the front row isn't exactly the most fun thing to do. I also forgot to mention this last time, but there was a "field side" premium ticket available last year; it appears that this section is gone this year as I didn't see anyone in that area (though it may have just been due to the whole 10:30 AM thing).

The last notable change: merch is now inside the stadium (i.e. no more carnival trailer - though the Miners may have it now). It's in the same area the Cosmos had their store, which leads me to believe that the old owners got kicked out of it (as it seems merch was there the first year the Jackals played at Hinchliffe). While I didn't exactly see anything interesting in the store, I did go home with a foul ball - and some arm soreness...