This past Halloween, 2024 marked one year since Rachel and I moved from Rhode Island to Virginia Beach. It has been a mostly positive move for Rachel and myself, but we do miss our Rhode Island family and friends dearly and have tried to visit as often as we can. Because family takes precedence over baseball, I haven’t really done much baseball stuff in Rhode Island during the few visits up north in the past year. Well, I was up in visiting Rhode Island over this past weekend and was lucky enough to combine baseball and family for a special trip up to Smithfield’s Bryant University.

My son Harrison and I took the 20 minute trip from Warwick, where I was staying, up to Smithfield early Sunday morning. Harry had to work later that day and I was flying out early Monday, so it was a good opportunity to meet up and check out the new turf at Bryant University’s Conaty Park before I left. It had been well over a year since the new turf was installed (Ribbon Cutting Article, courtesy of Bryant Baseball’s page) at Conaty Park and I was excited to see the field in person. I had only seen game photos of the field via Bryant’s Baseball page. This was going to be fun.

With the leaves turning and blue skies and the clouds just picture perfect, I was blown by how picturesque Bryant’s Conaty Park was. It was my son’s first trip to Bryant, so he was experiencing the campus, the football stadium, and the baseball field for the first time. I was psyched that the bleachers were open so I could get a shot or two behind home plate, then head out to the outfield areas. I just kept saying to Harry, “What an amazing fall day to take photos.”

As Harry and I walked around the perimeter of Conaty, we chatted about, what else, baseball. World Series, Red Sox free agent potentials, Yankee mishaps – the usual stuff. Texting baseball stuff with Harry is always fun, but nothing beats a great baseball conversation in person. Harry has a great respect for the game and knows a ton of its history and its present, so it is always cool to match wits with him.

After making our way around the entire field, Harry and I searched around the park and surrounding stone wall areas for some baseballs. But, unfortunately came up empty. We took the golf cart path back to the parking lot, passed all the field renovations and some college tours happening that Sunday. Then, we hopped in my rental car, had a New England breakfast at Dunkin’ up the street, then headed back to Warwick so Harry could get to work on time. Baseball and family, those are two of the most important things in my life. Well, not necessarily in that order!

Wow, what an awesome Bryant University experience on Sunday with Harrison. Harry got to visit the campus for the first time and just loved it. He’ll head over to URI in September after finishing his first two years at CCRI. It was great to hang out with him for the morning. And it was great to experience one of the most incredible baseball fields, maybe in New England, at Bryant University. The field, the turf, the bullpens, the entire park looks incredible. I was so psyched I could fit in a baseball experience while I was in Rhode Island last weekend. And even more psyched to share those moments with my son, Harrison.