Like most Triple-A facilities, Durham Bulls Athletic Park is large enough that you shouldn’t expect to find batting practice baseballs before you enter the gates. You do, however, have a good chance of finding a baseball or two if you look in the right areas. Hurry to the grass berm in center field upon entering the park. Although ushers are tasked with collecting baseballs hit into the stands, it’s not impossible to find a baseball on the berm — typically, slightly out of sight along the berm’s edge or against the wall at the berm’s base.
Other areas to browse include the concourse around the “Hit Bull, Win Steak” sign in left field, the right field seats, and both of the group picnic areas down the lines. (Of note, fans aren’t permitted to enter the picnic areas without a ticket, but you can browse the perimeter of these areas. The ushers at DBAP tend to be friendly, and it’s not unheard of to encounter an usher who has collected a BP baseball with the plan to give it to a fan.
Autographs are fairly easy to obtain around both dugouts and bullpens. (The Bulls are situated on the third base side and gather more of a crowd on most nights.) While Triple-A players don’t generally sign with quite as much frequency as those in the lower levels of the minor leagues, it’s reasonable to expect that you can get a few signatures before the game. Your best bet is to always get to your preferred side of the field as soon as you enter, and be ready with your item and pen or marker in case a player appears suddenly. It’s uncommon for players to sign autographs after the game, so it’s best to get what you can before first pitch.