By Scotty Rouse
The Piedmont Pride summer baseball team will play all home games at The Winthrop Ballpark. The Pride plays in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, and is sponsored by the Piedmont Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The Pride players will play 40 games during the summer, but will also do ministry work in York County. The players will have the opportunity to go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic after the season.
Pride head coach Joe Hudak, who was the Winthrop Head Coach for 19 years, is excited to return to the friendly confines on the Winthrop campus. “It’s going to be fun to be on the field and in the dugouts again, kind of like going home”, remarked the former Eagle skipper. “We are very grateful to Coach Riginos and AD Hickman for working with us to allow to play at the Ballpark”. The Winthrop Ballpark was built in two phases. Phase one, consisting of the stadium seating, press box, and lights, was built in 2001. The second phase, featuring coaches offices, covered seating, locker room, player lounge, equipment room, training room, weight room, and indoor batting cages was constructed in the fall of 2007. The stadium holds approximately 1800 spectators.
Current Winthrop Head Coach Tom Riginos is also excited about the Pride playing at his place. “We are very excited to have the Piedmont Pride of the SCBL playing at our field this summer”, says Riginos. “I think what Coach Hudak is doing with the Pride is outstanding. I believe this will be good for the players of the Pride, good for the SCBL, good for Winthrop, and good for the baseball community of Rock Hill”.
The Pride plays its first home game on Wednesday, June 3 at 7:00. The entire home schedule can be found above under the schedule button. Information about directions and admission can be found under the tickets/stadium button on the website.
