Monday Night Baseball Road Trip To Edenton Featuring Rocky Hock Gnats vs. VB Valor

Edenton, North Carolina sits about 75 miles south of my home in Virginia Beach. The route includes all that I love about Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern/Intercoastal North Carolina – beautiful farms that stretch as far as thee eye can see, scenic bridges spanning rivers and local waterways, open road highways with nothing much but the breeze in your face. This area of the country is so picturesque, it would take me decades to describe all that it means to me.

So, why drive to Edenton, NC on a random Monday night? The answer – Hicks Field and a summer baseball tradition.

Historic Hicks Field is located off Freemason Street in beautiful and historic Edenton, North Carolina. To get there, Rachel (boot and all) and I took the most direct route possible. Fine with me – 264 to 64 to 17, don’t get much simpler than that. Along the way, we drove through acres and acres of farmland. We passed through a tree line road on Route 17 that looked like something out of a movie. As we entered into North Carolina, we passed over the Jim “Catfish” Hunter Bridge in Hertford and missed an opportunity to take a photo of a sign hung up in the trees commemorating the Hall of Fame pitcher’s place in Hertford history. Traffic signs like “farm machinery uses this highway at slow speeds,” are commonplace on Route 17. The ride was just part of the incredible story on this night.

We pulled into Hicks Field and found parking (free of charge) in the parking lot behind the stadium, sort of on the third base side. Kids got free tickets to the game last night as a promotion, so there was a man in the parking lot handing them out as he saw them. Rachel and I walked up to a traditional ticket office and got two printed tickets, handed them to an attendant who ripped the bottom portions off, then handed back the remaining ticket for our entry into Hicks. Baseball as it should be – a tangible ticket, a greeter to welcome you to the park, and a tangible piece of paper for your souvenir or office to reference one day. The only modern convenience in the entire transaction was I paid with my credit card. If I had cash or coins to pay, it would have been baseball bliss!! Maybe next time in Edenton.

Hicks Field is my kind of baseball park. Bleacher seating from third base, through the back stop area, and passed the first base dugout. Huge press box behind home plate, lineup card hand printed by magic marker next to the Donut Hole stand, picnic table seating in left field and right field areas, and all those great food options including donuts, burgers, hot dogs, and a beer garden. Open, general admission seating so you can sit behind home plate, or choose a side to cheer on your hometown Edenton Steamers or head over to the other side to cheer on the visitors. Safety netting in the picnic table areas, stadium lights that buzz when they first come on, and a left field wall of lumber that kind of resembles another famous wall in Boston, MA. Except this wall wasn’t painted green. Hicks Field is a traditional baseball field with a ton of character.

For last night’s game, the Edenton Steamers played under their alternate team ID, the Rocky Hock Gnats. The Steamers/Gnats play in the Old North State League, which has 4 divisions, each with 6 teams. The Steamers/Gnats play in the Tidewater Division. Steamers mascots were still in attendance greeting fans and playing games in between innings with the fans on the field. The Gnats took on the Virginia Beach Valor, a Tidewater Summer League team based not too far from where Rachel and I live in VA Beach. We went to a VB Valor game last summer, so we were familiar with the organization. Last night’s game was one of many interleague type games both the Valor and Steamers have on their 2025 Summer Schedules.

Before I get too far ahead of myself about the game, check out this beauty which was being raffled off. Table and chairs with the baseballs and the baseball bats as legs and the Edenton Steamers logo branded into the seats? And it looked like the team signed the top of the round table as well. Fingers crossed we win this prized package!!!

By the time the national anthem was sung, “play ball” was announced, and the first pitch was thrown, Hicks Field had filled up nicely with energetic fans. There was a really nice mix of older fans (like myself), families, and kids at the park. Seating was no problem as Rachel and I found great seats in the bleachers behind the visiting VB Valor dugout. With Rachel’s foot still in a boot, we took extra caution going up the wooden bleacher steps and parked in one spot for the game. I was happy to play waiter for our dinner plans, heading over after the 2nd inning to grab some burgers and hot dogs, what else do you eat at summer baseball league game. Behind the food stand, you could see a grill and hear the chatter of the men and women cooking the food. Community, thy name is Edenton!

The Gnats and Valor traded zeros on the scoreboard for the first few innings of play. Both teams got out of jams with runners on base. A much needed strikeout or a key ground ball out helped pitchers get back into their respective dugouts without giving up any runs. Hits were hard to come by and those that were hit seemed to find gloves. It was a warm and humid night in Edenton, which usually favors the hitter. Not so last night, at least in the beginning of the game. The Gnats used a committee type pitching rotation, almost going inning for inning with a new hurler. The Valor stuck with one or two arms for the 6 innings I was in attendance. Both teams played well enough to win, pitching was solid, defense stepped up when they needed to, and fans were treated to a low scoring, well played game.

After the 6 inning and with the Gnats holding a slight lead over the Valor, Rachel and I decided to pack up and head home. We said good-bye to our “neighbors” on the top steps of the visitor’s bleachers and carefully navigating down the wooden staircase, through the backstop area through the kids running, and over to the main gate where we entered. I took one final look at historic Hicks Field before walking out to the parking lot and thought to myself, “now that is a summer baseball experience.” Great baseball park, engaged community members, family friendly, affordable tickets and food, plenty of seats, no frills scoreboard, great baseball talent on the field, safe, and a must see for baseball fans of all ages. What an incredible Edenton, North Carolina baseball experience featuring the Edenton Steamers aka Rocky Hock Gnats and the Virginia Beach (VB) Valor.