BLACKSBURG -- The Virginia Tech baseball team is several months away from releasing its entire 2016 schedule, but one date to mark down is Friday, April 22, because the Hokies will face the Duke Blue Devils on this day at historic Calfee Park, home of the New York Yankees’ Rookie affiliate the Pulaski Yankees.
Announced today by the Virginia Tech Athletics Department, the single game has a tentative start time of 7 p.m. and ticket information for the event will be released at a later date.
“This game is mutually beneficial to everyone involved,” Director of Tech Athletics Whit Babcock said. “First, it will give our players an opportunity to play baseball on a professional field. Second, it allows Pulaski to show off its historic minor league park and its latest improvements, and lastly, it helps our athletics brand reach a wider audience, especially where it concerns our baseball program.”
Calfee Park is the ninth oldest professional Minor League Baseball park in use in the United States and offers a fan-friendly atmosphere. In 2014, Shelor Motor Mile acquired both Calfee Park and the Appalachian League affiliate and has put more than $7 million of improvements and upgrades in both the park and the Jackson Park Inn, where the players will be housed just a block from the ballpark. CLICK HERE to see a MiLB story written on the park's improvements.
Some of its newest additions are a Jumbotron, which is approximately half the size of the one at Lane Stadium, along with a new visitor’s clubhouse, a new concession/souvenir stand, a renovated home clubhouse, additional reserved seating, two new VIP suites, eight additional open-air corporate suites, a new press box and a video tower.
“We’re excited to share the new facilities with Virginia Tech and we appreciate the willingness to support the community,” said David Hagan, co-owner of the Pulaski Yankees and Shelor Motor Mile.
Built in 1935 as a Works Progress Administration project and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Calfee Park was named after the mayor of Pulaski in 1935, Ernest W. Calfee. The ballpark seats approximately 3,000 people.
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