English Field

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = English Field


location = Blacksburg, Virginia
opened = March 22, 1989
owner = Virginia Tech
surface = Grass
tenants = Virginia Tech Hokies (NCAA College Baseball) (1989-present)
seating_capacity = 1033 chair backed seats
dimensions = Left Field - 330 ft
Center Field - 400 ft
Right Field - 330 ft
scoreboard =

English Field is a baseball stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. It is the home field of the Virginia Tech Hokies college baseball team. It was opened in 1989 and has a capacity of 1033 in chair back seats plus additional grass-covered bank seating along the left field line known as "The Hill"cite web
title = 2007 Virginia Tech Baseball Media Guide
publisher = Virginia Tech Athletics
url = http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/base08mg.pdf
accessdate = 2008-04-27] .

Naming

The stadium is named after Virginia Tech Outstanding Alumni Award winner E.R. 'Red' English and his wife, Ruth, who were financial contributors to the university athletics program for over 50 years cite web
title = English Field
url = http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/englishfield.html
accessdate = 2007-12-23] . The home team dugout is named for American Baseball Coach Coaches Association Hall of Famer G. F. 'Red' Laird who was head coach from 1940-43 and 1948-1973.

Opening Day

On March 22, 1989, the Hokies defeated the baseball team from George Mason University 7-2 in the first game played in the stadium.

Home of Chuck Hartman's 1000th career victory

English Field was home to Chuck Hartman's 1,000th career victory with a Hokie defeat of Liberty University on April 27, 1992. With this win, Hartman became the 9th baseball coach in Division I history to win 1,000 games [cite web
title = Chuck Hartman biography
publisher = Virginia Tech Athletic Department
url = http://www.hokiesports.com/staff/hartman.html
accessdate = 2008-01-03] .

Host of first on-campus athletic event after shootings

On April 20, 2007, English Field hosted the first on-campus athletic event after the campus shootings of April 16th. [cite web
title = Information on this weekend's events
publisher = Virginia Tech Athletics Department
date = 2007-04-19
url = http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/recaps/20070419aab.html
accessdate = 2008-01-03] A record crowd of 3,132 watched the Hokies play against the Miami Hurricanes [cite web
title = Hokies drop tight one to Miami, 11-9
publisher = Virginia Tech Athletics Department
date = 2007-04-20
url = http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/recaps/20070419aab.html
accessdate = 2008-01-08] . Coinciding with a state-wide day of mourning [cite web
last = Gelineau
first = Kristen Gelineau
title = Grieving Hokies return to diamond
publisher = Associated Press
date = 2007-04-23
url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18233896/
accessdate = 2008-01-03] , the Virginia Tech baseball team debuted the first commemorative patch honoring student and professor victims [cite web
title = Student-Athletes to wear commemorative patch
publisher = Virginia Tech Athletics Department
date = 2007-04-20
url = http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/recaps/20070420aaa.html
accessdate = 2008-01-08] while the Miami players and coaches wore black wristbands. Additionally, Miami head coach Jim Morris presented a $10,000 check on behalf of the university to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund [cite web
title = Morris to Make Presentation on Behalf of UM Community at Virginia Tech
publisher = miamisports.com
date = 2007-04-20
url = http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/041907aab.html
accessdate = 2008-01-03] .

Renovation 2008

In early 2008, "The Hill" along the left field line was reworked similar to an outdoor amphitheater. The layout provided seven foot sections between terraces and an expansion of handicap accessibility to the section. Additionally, this caused a reduction in foul territory in the outfield and moved the viewable area closer to the playing area.cite web
title = English Field facelift to benefit both players and fans
publisher = Virginia Tech Athletics
url = http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/renovation.html
accessdate = 2008-04-27]

The second portion of the renovation is the construction of an indoor batting facility beyond the left-field fence which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2008.

2008 Exhibition Game versus the New York Yankees

Announcement

Prior to their May 23, 2007 game against the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees announced their commitment to play an exhibition game in Blacksburg during 2008 spring training as a way to aid in the healing process of the campus shootings and made a $1 million contribution to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. [cite web
title = Yankees make contribution to Va. Tech fund
publisher = Associated Press
date = 2007-05-24
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2880851
accessdate = 2008-04-27] On October 24, 2007, it was announced that English Field would be the site of an exhibition game between Virginia Tech and the New York Yankees on March 18, 2008. [cite web
title = Hokies announce 2008 baseball slate
publisher = Virginia Tech Athletics
date = 2007-10-24
url = http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/recaps/20071024aaa.html
accessdate = 2008-01-03]

Pre-game activities

Upon arriving on campus, the Yankees' players and staff members visited the semicircle stone markers at the campus Drill Field memorial site for the victims.cite web
last name = Kepner
first name = Tyler
title = For Yankees and Viginia Tech's Hokies, a game to remember
publisher = International Herald Tribune
date = 2008-03-19
url = http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/19/sports/19yankees.php
accessdate = 2008-04-27] Two ceremonial first pitches were thrown — one was in honror the school faculty by university Police Chief Wendell Flinchum and another by Virginia Tech Rescue Squad Captain Jason Dominiczak on behalf of the student body and 32 balloons were released for the victims.cite web
last name = Hatcher
first name = Angela
title = Hokies V. Yankees
publisher = WSLS10
date = 2008-03-18
url = http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/new_river_valley/article/hokies_v_yankees/7453/
accessdate = 2008-04-27] Additionally, the university presented four nameplates engraved in Hokie Stone to the Yankees. cite web
last name = Hank
first name = Kurz, Jr.
title = New York Yankees honor victims and play Hokies at Virginia Tech
publisher = Associated Press
date = 2008-03-18
url = http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-yankees-virginiatech&prov=ap&type=lgns
accessdate = 2008-04-27]

The game

The starters for the game were left-handed sixth year senior captain Andrew Wells for the Hokies and right-handed Jeff Karstens for the yankees.cite web
last = Graziano
first = Dan
title = More on Virginia Tech
publisher = nj.com
date = 2008-03-19
url = http://blog.nj.com/ledgeryankees/2008/03/more_on_virginia_tech.html
accessdate = 2008-04-27] With Yankees manager Joe Girardi sitting in the stands with Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer in the first inning, Wells got Rodriguez to hit a short sacrifice fly to right field, then got Jason Giambi to ground into an inning-ending double play which emptied the Hokie dugout. Most of the Yankees starters came out during the fourth inning, after which Alex Rodriguez sat on the Hokies' bench and signed autographs.cite web
title = A-Rod calls visit to VT 'proudest day' as Yankee
publisher = Associated Press / msnbc.com
date = 2008-03-18
url = http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/23681533/
accessdate = 2008-04-27] Nine different Hokie pitchers combined in walking 10 batters and allowed 10 hits while Jeff Karstens pitched four innings for the Yankees while allowing two hits and struck out two. The final score was 11-0 in favor of the Yankees.

All Time Results by year for games played in English Field

Totals 309-152-3 (0.666)

References

ee also

* Virginia Tech Hokies

External links

* http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball - official VT Baseball site