Conn Rhapsody 628 Electronic Organ |
Newman Outdoor Field (F-M RedHawks Baseball Team)
Fargo, North Dakota

History of the RedHawks Conn Organ at Newman Outdoor Field

 

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, a minor league baseball team located in Fargo, ND, was founded in 1996. Newman Outdoor Field, the team's official stadium, opened on June 21, 1996. The stadium holds 4,513 patrons.

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Around 2004, there had been live organ music at the RedHawks as they were looking for an organist at that time. It is no longer known exactly what years they initially had an organ and organist, but by the 2010s, recorded organ tracks were used.

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In April 2025, RRTOS member Elliot Sander met one of the announcers for the RedHawks and inquired about having live organ music for baseball games. RRTOS was then invited to become the official organists of the F-M RedHawks. On April 24, 2025, several RRTOS members moved a Conn Rhapsody 628 Organ from the Alex Swanson residence to Newman Outdoor Field. Alex donated the organ in memory of its previous owner, Tyler Engberg. Tyler passed away in 2017 and gave the organ to Alex shortly before he passed. Tyler was a long-time RRTOS member, house organist of the Fargo Theatre, and had used this Conn as a home practice instrument, and purportedly for a few other events in and around Fargo-Moorhead. A plaque was affixed to the organ upon its installation at Newman, officially dedicating it in memory of Tyler Engberg.

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RRTOS members Alex Moe & Dylan Thiele cleaned and tuned the Conn upon its installation at Newman and it was first used for a game on Sunday, May 11, 2025. The first to perform on it were Elliot Sander, Alex Swanson, and Bryan Poyzer. Alex Moe and Dylan Thiele joined in as well and the organ was used for every Sunday home game of the season for the RedHawks.