Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – In March of 2016, Virginia Tech entered into a partnership with Union Back & Trust with the goal of enhancing the student-athlete and fan experience for the Hokies' baseball program. Saturday night at English Field at Union Park, that partnership was on full display with the Grand Opening of the facility with more than 3,400 fans in attendance, a regular-season attendance record.
The night began with recognition of some of the people who made English Field at Union Park possible ended with a spectacular fireworks show.
English Field at Union Park was built with the backing of a $3.5 million dollar commitment from Union Bank & Trust. The winning team in the design build contest was Cannon Design Architects and Whiting-Turner Contractors. Groundbreaking began in October of 2016 in an effort to build one of the best baseball facilities in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Among those honored pregame were the following Union Bank & Trust Executives:
- Sandra Chafin, Union Mortgage Loan Officer
- Bill Cimino, Vice President, Director of Investor Relations
- Pat Corbin, Union Bank & Trust Board of Directors
- Kat Costello, Vice President, Director of Community Engagement
- Greg Godsey, Senior Vice President, Commercial Market Executive
- Dan Hansen, Union Bank & Trust Board of Directors
- Ed Lawhorn, Commercial Business Development Officer
- Bob Martin, President, Wealth Management
- Beth Shivak, Vice President, Director of Corporate Communications
- Duane Smith, Chief Marketing Officer
- Charles Steger, Union Bank & Trust Board of Directors
- Janet Steger, Union Bank & Trust Board of Directors
- Leigh Sutherland, Blacksburg Branch Manager
- Rick Webster, Regional Vice President, Commercial Banking
Contributing in a special ribbon-cutting ceremony before the game behind the home plate area were:
- Virginia Tech President, Dr. Timothy Sands and Dr. Laura Sands
- Hokie student and great-granddaughter of Red and Rita English, the namesake of our ballpark, Margaret Wells
- Virginia Tech Director of Athletics, Whit Babcock
- Union Bank & Trust CEO, John Asbury
- Virginia Tech Baseball Head Coach, John Szefc
- Union Bank & Trust Board of Directors representative, Ray Smoot
- Virginia Tech Vice President of Advancement, Charlie Phlegar
Saturday night's Ceremonial First Pitches were thrown by:
- Union Bank & Trust, Hokie Alum Tony Peay
- Union Bank & Trust, former CEO and current Board of Directors member Billy Beale
- former Virginia Tech Baseball Head Coach and newly inducted member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, retired jersey Number One, Chuck Hartman
- former Virginia Tech and current NFL Quarterback, Tyrod Taylor
All-time attendance records at English Field at Union Park (min. 3,000)
- 5,311, March 18, 2008, vs. NY Yankees (exhibition game)
- 3,566, May 31, 2013, vs. Connecticut (NCAA Regional)
- 3,420, April 14, 2018, vs. Louisville (Grand Opening of English Field at Union Park)
- 3,389, March 30, 2013, vs. Florida State
- 3,142, April 26, 2013, vs. Virginia
- 3,132, April 20, 2007, vs. Miami
- 3,057, April 10, 2010, vs. Miami