Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park

Last updated
Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park
JMU Baseball Stadium.jpg
Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park
Location395 S. High Street, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
Coordinates 38°26′45″N78°52′41″W / 38.44585°N 78.87799°W / 38.44585; -78.87799
Capacity 1,200 (baseball)
Record attendance1,815 (March 17, 2010, vs. Virginia)
Field size340 ft. (LF), 400 ft. (CF), 320 ft. (RF)
SurfaceAstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D
ScoreboardElectronic
Construction
Built2008-10
Opened2010
Construction cost $9 million
Tenants
James Madison Dukes baseball (NCAA D1) (2010–present)
Harrisonburg Turks (VBL) (2010–present)
CAA Tournament (2012,2019)

Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park is a baseball venue in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. It is home to the James Madison Dukes baseball team of the NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Association. [1] James Madison University joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2022. The Harrisonburg Turks of the collegiate summer Valley Baseball League also use the field, [2] which opened in March 2010 and has a capacity of 1,200 spectators. [1]

Contents

History

The location of Eagle Field has been used for baseball since the 1940s. In 1948, its predecessor was dedicated Veterans Memorial Park in honor of Harrisonburg-area veterans who died in World War II. The Valley Baseball League's Harrisonburg Turks used the previous field through the end of the 2008 season, when construction began on the current facility. Construction on the current, $9 million facility took place from 2008 until it opened in March 2010. [2]

On March 17, 2010, 1,815 spectators attended a James Madison game against Virginia to set the facility's attendance record. [2]

Features

The field's features include an AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D surface, bullpens, and dugouts. [1] A net lines the infield portion of foul territory to protect spectators from foul balls. [2] In addition, the facility includes chairback seats, a press box, restrooms, concessions, landscaping, and plaques in honor of the Dukes' postseason accomplishments. [1] [2]

A monument commemorating war veterans from Rockingham County was dedicated in fall 2009 and stands at the entrance to the facility. [1]

The university's softball facility, also a part of the Veterans Memorial Park complex, is next to Eagle Field. Offices, indoor workout facilities, and locker rooms for the team are housed in Memorial Hall, also located near the field. [1]

Events

On July 11, 2011, the venue hosted the Mid-Atlantic Classic, an exhibition game played between the All-Star teams of the collegiate summer Valley Baseball League and Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. [3] In July 2014, it will host the Valley League All-Star Game.

The field also hosted the CAA Tournament in 2012. One-seed UNC Wilmington won the tournament. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium</span> Sports stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland

Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium is the home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles in the South Atlantic League. The stadium is located in Aberdeen, Maryland. The 6,300-seat Ripken Stadium held its first game on June 18, 2002. As of 2011 the team had sold out every home game at Ripken Stadium since it began playing there in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haymarket Park</span> Baseball complex in Lincoln, Nebraska USA

Hawks Field at Haymarket Park is a baseball stadium in the Haymarket District of Lincoln, Nebraska. It is less than a mile west of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (NU) and is the home venue of the school's baseball team and the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball. The thirty-two acre Haymarket Park complex, jointly financed by the city of Lincoln and NU, was completed in 2001 at a cost of $29.53 million. Hawks Field is adjacent to the smaller Bowlin Stadium, which hosts Nebraska's softball team.

The Harrisonburg Turks are a collegiate summer baseball team in Harrisonburg, Virginia. They play in the South Division of the Valley Baseball League, a collegiate wooden bat summer league consisting of 11 teams in the state of Virginia. The Turks have been coached and/or owned by Bob Wease for 33 years as of the end of the 2023 season. Wease sold the team to Gerald Harman prior to the start of the 2023 season. The Turks play their home games at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park on the campus of James Madison University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium</span> Baseball stadium at the University of Maryland

Shipley Field at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium is a baseball stadium in College Park, Maryland. It has served as the home field of the Maryland Terrapins baseball team at the University of Maryland since 1954. Shipley Field was formerly the home of the College Park Bombers of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, and was also used as a baseball venue by the Bowie Baysox during the 1994 season. The major league Washington Senators held a practice at Shipley Field on April 8, 1968, when their Opening Day game was postponed in the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Madison Dukes</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of James Madison University

The James Madison Dukes are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent James Madison University (JMU), in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. The Dukes play as members of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), which sponsors sports at the NCAA Division I level. In football, JMU participates in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of Division I, formerly known as Division I-A. JMU was a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA),. The Dukes officially left the CAA and joined the SBC in 2022, participating in Division I FBS football and other sports sponsored by the conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Madison Dukes football</span> Virginian college American football team

The James Madison Dukes football program represents James Madison University in the sport of American football. The Dukes compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), beginning play within the conference for the 2022 season. The university first fielded a football team in 1972, and the Dukes play at the on-campus Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Dukes are currently coached by Bob Chesney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League</span> Washington, D.C. and Baltimore Baseball League

The Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League (CRSCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league located in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan areas. The CRSCBL is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball (NACSB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Schwab Field Omaha</span> Baseball park in Nebraska, US

Charles Schwab Field Omaha is a ballpark in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 2011, the city-owned stadium replaced historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, which was about two miles (3 km) south. The diamond is aligned southeast at an approximate elevation of 1,010 feet (310 m) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Madison Dukes baseball</span> American college baseball team

The James Madison Dukes baseball team represents James Madison University in NCAA baseball. The "Diamond Dukes," as the team is known, have compiled a 1092-670-8 all-time record and have made the NCAA tournament eight times, most recently in 2024. The Dukes compete in the Sun Belt Conference.

Long Field at Mauck Stadium is a baseball venue located on the campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. It was home to the James Madison Dukes baseball team, a member of the Division I Colonial Athletic Association until the end of the 2009 season, when it was replaced by Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park. Built in 1974, The venue has a capacity of 1,200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Povich Field</span> Baseball stadium in Montgomery County, Maryland, US

Shirley Povich Field is a baseball stadium in Rockville, Maryland. It is the home field of the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, and the home field of the Georgetown Hoyas of the Big East Conference. The stadium holds 800 spectators. It is named after Washington Post columnist Shirley Povich. The stadium was created by renovating an existing field at Cabin John Regional Park between December 1998 and June 1999.

J. I. Clements Stadium is a baseball venue located in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Georgia Southern University Eagles college baseball team of the Division I Sun Belt Conference. It has a capacity of 3,000 spectators and opened in 2005.

J. L. Johnson Stadium is a baseball venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. It is home to the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles baseball team of the NCAA Division I The Summit League. Dedicated on June 17, 1977, the stadium was opened on March 6, 1978, for a game against Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Oral Roberts won the game 7–6. The venue's seated capacity is 2,418 spectators.

The 2013 Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament was held at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia, from May 22 through 25. In the championship game, fourth-seeded Towson defeated second-seeded William & Mary, 5–2, to win its first tournament championship. As a result, Towson earned the Colonial Athletic Association's automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

Joe "Spanky" McFarland is an American former college baseball coach who was the head coach of Northern Illinois (1991–1997) and James Madison (1998–2015). Under him, JMU appeared in three NCAA tournaments. A 1976 graduate of Hillsdale College, McFarland served as an assistant coach at several schools in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Bradley Littleton Babcock was an American college baseball coach, the head coach of James Madison (JMU) from 1971 to 1989. Under him, the Dukes appeared in five NCAA tournaments and the 1983 College World Series. His overall record in 19 seasons was 555–251–4, including a home record of 339–71–1.

The 2015 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) softball tournament was held at Veterans Memorial Park on the campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia from May 6 through May 8, 2015. Hofstra won the tournament, beating the top seeded James Madison Dukes and earning the CAA's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division I softball tournament. The entire tournament was aired on CAA.TV with the championship being broadcast on TV on American Sports Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Cannon Stadium</span> Baseball stadium in Hanover, Maryland

Joe Cannon Stadium is a baseball stadium in Hanover, Maryland. It is the home field of the Coppin State Eagles baseball team of the Division I Northeast Conference. It was also formerly the home field of the Baltimore Dodgers of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Joe Cannon Stadium also plays host to many high school and amateur league games. The stadium holds 1,500 spectators.

The 2018 Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament was held at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia, from May 23 through 26. The winner of the tournament, UNC Wilmington, earned the Colonial Athletic Association's automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

The 2019 Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament was held at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia, from May 22 through 25. The winner of the tournament, UNC Wilmington, earned the Colonial Athletic Association's automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Veterans Memorial Park". JMUSports.com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-06. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park". BallparksandBrews.com. 1 May 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-08-30. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  3. "Three Rams to Represent Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League in Mid-Atlantic Summer Classic". VCUAthletics.com. 8 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-04-13. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  4. Rendleman, John (26 May 2012). "UNCW Wins CAA Baseball Championship". WWAYTV3.com. Retrieved 27 May 2012.