By Brian Hoffman
Contributing writer
At least one good thing has come out oFormer Christiansburg High School second-baseman Ty Dunkleman places a tag on an opponent during a game this season. In the background is teammate MJ Hunter. The two former Blue Demons will play together at Concord University this year. Photo by Ashley Akers.f the pandemic: the baseball event today, Aug. 14, at Haley Toyota Field in Salem featuring area high school seniors.
With the high school spring sports seasons cancelled last year, the Salem Red Sox and members of the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame board decided to have games for players who missed their senior seasons. Seniors were split into four teams for two games played at Haley Toyota Field, the home field for the Salem Red Sox. It proved to be such a popular event that the decision was made to turn it into an annual affair, even when the regular baseball season returned.
This Saturday, the Red Sox and the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame will again put on a doubleheader for high school seniors, and it’s free of charge for spectators. Two seven-inning games will be played with a special presentation in between.
The second game of the day will feature seniors wearing green and gray jerseys. The green team will consist of players from Patrick Henry, Staunton River, Liberty and Christiansburg while the gray team will have seniors from Blacksburg, Cave Spring, Franklin County and Northside. Reagan Harris will represent Christiansburg and Blue Demons coach Dale Nelson is on the coaching staff. Blacksburg will be represented by graduated seniors Ben Miller, Colin Wilson, Brady Semtner and Carter Hill.
Saturday’s first game will begin at 4 p.m. between teams wearing navy and red shirts. The navy team will consist of players from Glenvar, Lord Botetourt and William Byrd, and they’ll take on the Red team with players from Hidden Valley, James River, North Cross and Eastern Montgomery.
After the first game the Salem-Roanoke Valley Hall of Fame will have a special presentation of the annual Ray Bellamy Award for the Player of the Year in the area served by the Hall of Fame. That area includes the counties of Alleghany, Roanoke, Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, and Montgomery and the independent cities located within the boundaries of those counties.
The five finalists this year as voted on by high school coaches in the eight-county area of the Hall of Fame along with Hall of Fame Board members are Tyler Dean of William Byrd High School, Isaac Fix of William Byrd, Cory Sigmon of Northside, Holden Wilkerson of Cave Spring and Michael Williams of Franklin County.
A presentation will also be made to an area player as the winner of the Posey Oyler Scholarship, sponsored by the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame. The award will be presented to a player who will go on to play in college and has shown a dedication to the game.
Concessions will be available during the games this Saturday, and the Hall of Fame building will be open for players and fans to tour, free of charge. The Salem-Roanoke Hall of Fame building is located on the grounds of the James E. Taliaferro Complex, next to the Salem Red Sox administrative office behind the third-base seating area of Salem Memorial Ballpark.
