CAMP LOCATION

English Field

Unless noted, all camps take place at English Field on the campus of Virginia Tech. 

Scenic English Field continues to provide Virginia Tech with a first-class campus setting for college baseball, day or night. 

Located at the intersection of Southgate Drive and Duck Pond Drive, English Field features 1,033 permanent chair-back seats in its concrete stands. 

The Virginia Tech athletics department continues to make upgrades to the facility. In the spring of 2012, workers replaced the natural grass surface by installing artificial turf. The $1 million field will enable the Hokies to practice even during inclement weather, as groundskeepers can remove snow quickly and effectively. Additionally, the field drains rapidly, allowing for a speedy resumption of play following any rain delays. Finally, as a part of this project, workers expanded the dugouts to almost twice the size, constructed a new batter’s eye, and installed a new padded outfield fence.

“We are excited about having the artificial surface. It’s the state-of-the-art surface that’s out there right now,” former head coach Pete Hughes said. “The foremost reason I am excited is that it gives our kids the ability to develop on days where they couldn’t in the past. We can get out there and develop as a program on that surface any time of the year.”

“And being able to double the size of our dugouts, that will be much better on a daily basis. That’s a huge improvement along with our outfield wall going to a padded wall. It will make it a safer venue to play, and the addition of our batter’s eye will provide a tremendous background for our hitters, which we didn’t have before.”

The completion of this project came on the heels of the completion of a new indoor hitting facility, which was completed in December of 2009. Located just beyond the left field foul pole at English Field, the 8,000-square foot facility serves the Hokies in a number of ways. There are four separate batting cages that can be employed for hitting purposes, but if the team wants to work on fielding and/or throwing, those cages can be raised to open up an area of turf that is nearly as big as the size of a normal infield. The facility also contains large, garage-like doors that can be raised for an open-air atmosphere, as well as a great view of the field, if the weather permits.

The floor of the building is outfitted with field turf, which allows for a natural roll of the ball. Also included are two instructional video labs, one for pitchers and one for hitters. The facility is equipped with video cameras to film the players from both side and front angles. The players can then view themselves on computer monitors in the labs for immediate feedback on form and execution.

"I can't emphasize enough how important the changes to our facility and the investment in our program has been," Hughes said. "It sends a great message of commitment. We're gradually becoming a player in the ACC in every single sport, and I think that's what our athletic department has in mind for us."