AUBURN - The ballpark seemed an odd place for a church service.

But for the approximately 300 people who attended Baseball Chapel at Falcon Park Sunday afternoon, it went together like baseball and hot dogs.

"Everybody needs to know about Jesus, wherever they are," said Ida Mae, who came with her husband, Bob. They also came to support Art Fritz Sr., a fellow member of the Second Baptist Church on Herman Avenue.

Fritz led Sunday's service and is chaplain to the Auburn Doubledays.

The service was held on a rainy afternoon before the Doubledays played the Batavia Muckdogs. This was the 11th year for the local service. The services are held in minor and major league stadiums around the country.

Fritz, a retired contractor, works as a spiritual counselor to the Doubledays and leads a service for the team every Sunday before home games.

Being new to a community, the players often don't know where to attend church.

"They don't normally know where to go, so we bring the church service to them," he said.

The chapel was part of community night at the park. Admission was free.

A group of teens from Freedom Village, a Christian home for teens in Lakemont near Geneva, performed at the service.

"This is a ballpark," Fritz told the crowd during the ceremony. "There's supposed to be good things happening here.