The Cowlitz Black Bears know they will play their 2025 season at David Story Field in Longview.
Beyond that, not much is certain for one of Southwest Washington’s two West Coast League baseball teams.
For 15 years, Cowlitz has played its home games at Story Field on the campus of Lower Columbia College.
However, the team’s ownership and the college were unable to agree on how to use $1.3 million allocated by the state Legislature in 2023 to fund renovations at Story Field.
Black Bears co-owner Tony Bonacci said that has triggered a termination agreement in the team’s lease after the 2025 season and the release of those funds back to the state.
“We’re exploring all of our options beyond 2025,” Bonacci said.
Bonacci also co-owns the Ridgefield Raptors, who have played at Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex since the team debuted in 2019.
The West Coast League is a collegiate wood bat league with teams in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The 54-game regular season stretches from early June through mid-August.
Last season, the Black Bears averaged 674 fans per game, which ranked 14th out of 16 WCL teams. Bonacci said he hoped to use the state-allocated money to expand concessions offerings, increase seating capacity and otherwise improve the fan experience.
In July, Lower Columbia College announced it was going forward with its own plan after the school’s foundation agreed to match the $1.3 million provided by the state. It calls for to replacing Story Field’s lighting, fixing turf damage and replacing the 60-year-old stadium’s wooden bleachers, which were built in the 1980s.
That project also includes improvements to Lower Columbia’s softball and soccer practice facilities.
As the Black Bears’ original owner since 2010, Bonacci said the Longview/Kelso community is dear to him regardless of what the future holds for his team.
“We have a lot of celebrate over the past 15 years,” Bonacci said. “Our focus is on this community and the experience that we’ve been fortunate to have here.
“That experience includes one more season.”
