The bracket made for a perfect scenario for the Ridgefield Raptors.
The team from the other side of the Columbia River and their rowdy fans were headed to Ridgefield for one, perhaps two baseball games. In the playoffs.
Ridgefield fans had to respond.
And they did.
“It was one of the biggest responses of noise we’ve ever got in that park,” said Gus Farah, general manager of the Raptors.
The Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex was the place to be for sports fans in Clark County in August.
“I couldn’t draw it up any better,” Farah said. “Really dramatic baseball games, and the people left satisfied.”
The Raptors would win both games over the Portland Pickles at the RORC to advance in the West Coast League playoffs. Those two games were the final ones of the season played in Ridgefield. It was a perfect way to end the season, the GM said.
“I don’t count on the playoffs to make one cent,” Farah said.
One, a team cannot guarantee itself a playoff spot. Second, playoff games are scheduled at the last minute. Not every fan can just expect it, plan to be there.
But those two games? The Raptors attracted around 3,700 fans.
“I was over-the-top happy with 1,800 a night,” Farah said. “The vibe in the park, with how the people enjoyed it, was over-the-top.”
A month later, Farah and the Raptors are saying goodbye to the 2026 season and looking ahead to the future. The team heard from players, plus from hundreds of fans who filled out a survey.
“The feedback is very solid,” Farah said. “We’ve gotten better at paying attention to small details.”
The West Coast League is a wood-bat, summer league for college-eligible players. The WCL attracts some of the best college players in the country.
The Raptors debuted in 2019 at the RORC, and Farah has witnessed a growth in just about every aspect of the operation.
This year, attendance was up a little, with one game that attracted close to 2,400 fans. On average, the Raptors had more than 1,400 fans a game. And that included some challenges which included a rainout, a rare lightning delay of hours, as well as smoky conditions late in the season that affected turnout.
The relationships with local businesses remain strong, Farah added.
“This is now a staple,” he said of the franchise. “Not only in Ridgefield but Southwest Washington. People feel that. The relationship with the fans and the community, that’s huge for us.”
Next year, expect improvements to the park, including the sound system. There were issues this year with audio. Farah is reminding fans that the RORC is no longer in its honeymoon phase. Opened in 2018, it is now in a maintenance phase. Still, he said the park remains among the best in the WCL.
The Raptors and the RORC continue to be the gathering point of the summer for baseball fans in the region.
“Fans know why they are there. They’re not there to argue politics. They’re not there to argue the growth of Ridgefield,” Farah said. “They’re there to get away, chill out, and really just to enjoy the game.”
