Field of dreams

Ron Counts, Staff Writer
Published: September 20, 2008

A sign hangs beside the home dugout at the American Legion Post 330 baseball field that reads, “Attitude is everything.”

Central Virginia Sting manager Jeff Crane and assistant coach Kyle Scott are making sure their players’ attitudes stay positive with the well-hidden field’s latest renovation — a well donated by Culpeper based Riner Well Drilling.

“Kids like to have a good place to play,” Crane said. “It makes you feel better and do better when you come to a nice field. It just really helps your whole attitude.”

Anyone that has played on a splotchy grass infield knows what happens to groundballs. They go in every direction except the way they’re expected to.

That has been the problem at the field tucked behind the brick American Legion hall that is less than a mile north of Culpeper High School on Route 229 since the grass was planted two years ago.

But all that is in the past thanks to the drilling of the new well, Crane said.

“We used to have to haul the water out here to keep the grass green,” Crane said. “Having things like a nice grass infield and well-made foul poles, instead of sticks marking the boundaries, is really going to help us.”

Thanks to Scott’s community connections and several generous companies, the Post 330 field has received several upgrades, and they certainly appear to be affecting the Sting.

“Nice facilities go along way toward building a strong competitive attitude,” Crane said.

The travel team for high school players from Culpeper, Fauquier and Spotsylvania has opened the fall baseball season with a 5-0-1 record.

Renovations began six years ago, when Colonial Concrete donated the concrete used to pave the floors of the dugouts, and Rappahannock Electric gave a utility pole that powers the field’s concession stand and press box.

In addition to the well, the field — used by the American Legion’s baseball team and the Sting — has recently been given professional looking foul poles by the Culpeper Machine Shop, a fabric fence cover by Updike and grass seed by the Culpeper County Farm service — all free of charge.

The advantages of improved facilities for both teams are obvious, but Crane says the renovations with also benefit the community as a whole.

“The community will reap the benefits of the time and money that have spent out here tenfold,” he said. “We’ll have kids playing ball instead of running the streets, and we’ll be giving more kids the chance to further their athletic careers by giving them the chance to get more recognition by college baseball programs.”

Ron Counts can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or

Feeling the Sting?
The Central Virgina Sting competed in a wood-bat tournament hosted by the Richmond Braves in Petersburg Saturday and are the sixth seed, with a record of 1-1, heading into the second round.
In the first game, the Sting lost 8-2 to the Braves 2010 team, which won this years world bat championship. The team got RBIs from Brandon Scott and CCHS senior Brian Thompson.
The Sting (5-0-1) won their second game 8-5 against Braddock, a high school travel team from Fairfax. Courtland’s Matt Lenox led the team, finishing 3-3 with three RBIs.