English Field
Encyclopedia
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".
defeated the baseball team from George Mason University
7-2 in the first game played in the stadium.
'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.
. A record crowd of 3,132 watched the Hokies play against the Miami Hurricanes
. Coinciding with a state-wide day of mourning, the Virginia Tech baseball team debuted the first commemorative patch honoring student and professor victims 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.
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.
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. 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.
to the Yankees.
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. 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.
|-
!Year
!Wins
!Losses
!Ties
!Winning %
|-
| 1989
| 17
| 7
| 0
| 0.708
|-
| 1990
| 22
| 5
| 0
| 0.815
|-
| 1991
| 17
| 9
| 0
| 0.654
|-
| 1992
| 17
| 3
| 1
| 0.850
|-
| 1993
| 19
| 4
| 0
| 0.826
|-
| 1994
| 17
| 6
| 0
| 0.739
|-
| 1995
| 19
| 6
| 0
| 0.760
|-
| 1996
| 15
| 5
| 0
| 0.750
|-
| 1997
| 17
| 6
| 0
| 0.739
|-
| 1998
| 14
| 8
| 1
| 0.636
|-
| 1999
| 16
| 6
| 0
| 0.727
|-
| 2000
| 15
| 9
| 1
| 0.625
|-
| 2001
| 15
| 7
| 0
| 0.682
|-
| 2002
| 18
| 12
| 0
| 0.600
|-
| 2003
| 18
| 10
| 0
| 0.643
|-
| 2004
| 18
| 10
| 0
| 0.643
|-
| 2005
| 10
| 10
| 0
| 0.500
|-
| 2006
| 14
| 13
| 0
| 0.519
|-
| 2008
| 11
| 16
| 0
| 0.407
|-
| 2008
| 16
| 16
| 0
| 0.500
|-
| 2009
| 18
| 11
| 0
| 0.621
|-
| 2010
| 24
| 7
| 0
| 0.774
|-
|Totals 367-186-3 (0.664)
|-
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Blacksburg
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It is the home field of the Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams officially representing Virginia Tech in college sports. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 19 varsity sports. Virginia Tech's men's sports are football, basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer,...
college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
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".
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. 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 HokiesVirginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams officially representing Virginia Tech in college sports. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 19 varsity sports. Virginia Tech's men's sports are football, basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer,...
defeated the baseball team from George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
7-2 in the first game played in the stadium.
Home of Chuck Hartman's 1000th career victory
English Field was home to Chuck HartmanChuck Hartman
Chuck Hartman was the head baseball coach at Virginia Tech from 1979 until 2006. He completed his 47-year coaching career as the fourth winningest coach in Division I baseball history with a 1,444-816-8 record, including a 961-591-8 mark in his 28 seasons at Tech...
's 1,000th career victory with a Hokie defeat of Liberty University
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
on April 27, 1992. With this win, Hartman became the 9th baseball coach in Division I history to win 1,000 games.
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 16thVirginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
. A record crowd of 3,132 watched the Hokies play against the Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes baseball
The Miami Hurricanes baseball team is the college baseball program that represents the University of Miami.Since 1973, the program has been one of college baseball's elite with 23 College World Series appearances, winning four national championships and advancing to the NCAA regionals a record 39...
. Coinciding with a state-wide day of mourning, the Virginia Tech baseball team debuted the first commemorative patch honoring student and professor victims 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.
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.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.
Announcement
Prior to their May 23, 2007 game against the Boston Red Sox, the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
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. 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.
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. 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. Additionally, the university presented four nameplates engraved in Hokie StoneHokie Stone
Hokie Stone is a grey dolomite limestone named for the Hokie mascot of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where the stone is the primary finishing material on campus buildings. Hokie Stone is limestone infused with magnesium and calcium under intense pressure and temperature....
to the Yankees.
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. With Yankees manager Joe GirardiJoe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the New York Yankees. During a 15-year playing career, he played from 1989–2003 for the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals...
sitting in the stands with Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , a position he has held since 1987. From 1981 to 1986, Beamer served as the head coach at Murray State University...
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
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
sat on the Hokies' bench and signed autographs. 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
{| class="wikitable sortable"|-
!Year
!Wins
!Losses
!Ties
!Winning %
|-
| 1989
| 17
| 7
| 0
| 0.708
|-
| 1990
| 22
| 5
| 0
| 0.815
|-
| 1991
| 17
| 9
| 0
| 0.654
|-
| 1992
| 17
| 3
| 1
| 0.850
|-
| 1993
| 19
| 4
| 0
| 0.826
|-
| 1994
| 17
| 6
| 0
| 0.739
|-
| 1995
| 19
| 6
| 0
| 0.760
|-
| 1996
| 15
| 5
| 0
| 0.750
|-
| 1997
| 17
| 6
| 0
| 0.739
|-
| 1998
| 14
| 8
| 1
| 0.636
|-
| 1999
| 16
| 6
| 0
| 0.727
|-
| 2000
| 15
| 9
| 1
| 0.625
|-
| 2001
| 15
| 7
| 0
| 0.682
|-
| 2002
| 18
| 12
| 0
| 0.600
|-
| 2003
| 18
| 10
| 0
| 0.643
|-
| 2004
| 18
| 10
| 0
| 0.643
|-
| 2005
| 10
| 10
| 0
| 0.500
|-
| 2006
| 14
| 13
| 0
| 0.519
|-
| 2008
| 11
| 16
| 0
| 0.407
|-
| 2008
| 16
| 16
| 0
| 0.500
|-
| 2009
| 18
| 11
| 0
| 0.621
|-
| 2010
| 24
| 7
| 0
| 0.774
|-
|Totals 367-186-3 (0.664)
|-
External links
- http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball - official VT Baseball site