It has been about 18 months since I returned to live here in Hampton Roads, Virginia. In those 18 months, I have been introduced to a ton of great baseball here in Southeastern Virginia, the Richmond area, and Coastal North Carolina. I have attended amateur and collegiate baseball games in Elizabeth City, NC and Richmond, VA and in local Hampton Roads cities like Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Hampton. There is an unbelievable amount of baseball talent here in VA and Coastal Carolina!
I have made some really cool connections with several local amateur baseball leagues. Many of them are getting ready to kick off their 2025 Summer season and many have recently posted their team’s 2025 schedule. Here are a few that caught my attention this week. Please note, each schedule will be accompanied with the team and league’s website for you to learn more about their summer season.
NABA Richmond: Per their bio on www.nabarichmond.com, “The NABA Richmond is the Most Exciting 18+ Summer Wood Bat Baseball League in the Richmond area! Nationally affiliated with the National Adult Baseball Association. Teams play throughout Henrico county, Chesterfield county, Deltaville and the northern neck during the regular season.
The National Adult Baseball Association (NABA) is a nationally-recognized baseball league. The NABA Richmond league was established in 2008 in Richmond, VA. Our league is for players 18 and older. The league is a competitive league; the majority of players in the league have played at least high school level baseball. Games are 9 innings, wood bat only.” For more information on dues and fees to join NABA – Richmond, head over to www.nabarichmond.com.
The Peninsula Pilots play in the historic Coastal Plain League. And they play in the historic War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, VA. And they have a fantastic staff of media, marketing, PR, and volunteers that help make the Peninsula Pilots a favorite destination for baseball fans all over Hampton Roads and beyond. I love going to the games, they are entertaining, they are competitive, and they are affordable. A winning combination that continues in 2025. Want to learn more about Pilots special events and games? Head over to their official website – www.peninsulapilots.com.
Last summer, Rachel and I took a drive down to Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It was a hot and humid day to say the least. I think the temperature was 95 degrees and the feel like temperature was 950 degrees. We had lunch, strolled the marina, did some shopping, and checked out the riverboat in the harbor. After our day date, we headed over to catch the River City Skippers game, which was about a mile or so outside of the main street area of Elizabeth City. The Skippers play in the Old North State League. We got to the game, the skies started to turn a shade of Armageddon gray, the wind picked up to gale force (well not quite but really gusty), and the game was suspended until later. Rachel and I didn’t get to see any game action, but vowed to come back another time, weather permitting.
This past winter, I received an email from Adam Swain – the new general manager and team principal for the River City Skippers. “As you would expect,” Swain wrote, “we’re already planning for the upcoming season. We’ve got a great roster and are hoping to build off the success of the past two years.” I thanked him and promised I would be back to River City in the summer. This past week, I reached out to Adam and asked him about any upcoming events for the Skippers. His response – “The major rivalry for us is the Edenton Steamers. We have our division opener against them on Sunday, June 1 and then again on July 11 and July 19 (regular season final). They have a lot of history locally (we’re the new kids on the block), so fans really turn out for those games.” Here is the upcoming home schedule for the River City Skippers. And their website for more information is www.rivercityskippers.com.
Whether you live in Virginia Beach or Richmond or North Carolina, the baseball talent on display this summer will be endless. From the historic Coastal Plain League and Old North State League to the National Adult Baseball Association games in the Richmond area, I cannot wait to attend games and check out historic baseball parks and meet some of the dedicated baseball people behind the scenes of these great leagues. I will list the websites and informational sites you can check out below. Just click on the blue link to be redirected to their official website. And as always, good luck to all the players, coaches, families, and leagues this summer.
The Baseball Storyteller 