Martinsville, Virginia

Blog

The College of William & Mary Win at Hooker Field

After three days of games, The College of William & Mary Tribe baseball team was declared the District III champion of the National Club Baseball Association (NCBA) this past weekend.

NCBA District III Sunday featured two very close and competitive games. The University of South Carolina- Union won the first game 9-3 and then a final game was held in the double-elimination tournament where The College of William & Mary came back with a 7-2 win. William & Mary will now move on to the NCBA Division II World Series in Paducah, Kentucky.

Over the course of the three day tournament, fans coming to support the teams drove in from Gretna, Charlotte, Raleigh, Richmond, Newport News, Spotsylvania, South Carolina, Delaware, West Virginia and Connecticut, just to name a few.

Linda Pitts and her family of South Carolina enjoyed camping at Philpott Lake while attending the tournament. In addition to shopping and dining between the games they also enjoyed discovering more about the history of the area. Following the tournament, the Pitts family decided that they would stay an additional day so they could explore more of the community and see Philpott Marina.

According to Jennifer Doss Director of Tourism for Martinsville-Henry County, "Hosting tournaments like the NCBA and the USA Ultimate, which was held this past weekend at the Smith River Sport Complex, are incredible marketing tools for our community. Families who may have never even heard of Martinsville-Henry County before follow their children and grandchildren here to watch the games and become immersed in the inviting atmosphere." Mrs. Pitts stated, "Everyone here is so friendly and it is beautiful- we are certainly enjoying our time here in Martinsville." 

NCBA District III Matthew Hunter, a William & Mary fan from Connecticut, thought it was interesting to learn about the namesake of Hooker Field because he owns a piece of Hooker Furniture at his home. He was also impressed by the camping and recreational opportunities that the community had to offer.

Running the three-day tournament was a collaborative effort between the NCBA, Martinsville-Henry County Tourism, the City of Martinsville, the Martinsville Community Recreation Association and The Martinsville Mustangs. Proceeds from the weekend's ticket and concession sales will benefit enhancements to Hooker Field.

Another NCBA Tournament for the Mid-Atlantic Division I will be held this coming weekend, May 9th-11th. Both East Carolina University and James Madison University have made it into the Division I tournament. Ticket prices are $5 Friday, $10 Saturday and $5 Sunday. Tournament passes may be purchased for $15 on Friday or $12 on Saturday.

Additional information on the tournaments and area information can be found online at www.VisitMartinsville.com or by calling 276.632.8006.

The mission of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation is to create new job opportunities and expand the tax base for the area.  The organization strives to support and develop local industry, as well as market Martinsville-Henry County globally as an exceptional place to live, work and play.

The EDC is a public-private partnership between the City of Martinsville, Henry County, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber's Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG) and the Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont.

Photos:

The College of William and Mary Tribe Baseball Team

Director of Tourism Jennifer Doss and Martinsville Mustangs GM Shea Maple presents the NCBA District III Championship plaque to the William and Mary Tribe.

Click here to view more photos of the NCBA Division III Tournament at Hooker Field.