This Friday afternoon, I had the opportunity to visit Hickory High School, which is located in Chesapeake, VA. One city over but a very different landscape from my new hometown in Virginia Beach. My ride south on Kempsville Rd to Chesapeake’s Centreville Turnpike had beautiful country roads and farms with large crops and interesting small businesses. I love that I can drive 15 minutes or so and be at a beach going east, and 15 minutes or so south and be in the woods. The Southeastern section of Virginia, aka Hampton Roads, is a pretty cool place to live!

First a bit of reality. Today, like many days, I found myself at a foreign location as a visitor. I did not want to alarm a single person on campus, so I made a beeline straight to the security office and announced myself as a visitor, a baseball writer, and offered my license or credentials to validate who I was. After so many tragic events at schools recently, I feel it is even more important now that I meet up with security at schools, parks, stadiums, universities instead of just casually walking onto fields or walking around campuses. The last thing I want to do is alarm anyone or make anyone feel uncomfortable, despite the fact that I would never hurt a fly. Still, the reality we live in based on recent events on school campuses dictates that we use common sense and respect the rules of the places we are visiting. I want to thank the staff at Hickory High School today for being so welcoming, once I introduced myself and my purpose for being at the school. Small side note, school was not actually in session today. Hickory High School starts their 2025-26 academic year on September 2nd, so there weren’t any students on campus when I arrived. Still, I pledge to be more respectful than ever when visiting places to make sure I am doing what I can to make others feel safe.

Ok, let’s get to the purpose of my visit to Hickory High School. And let’s be blunt. David Wright. David Wright played at Hickory High School, was a star student athlete, was drafted by the NY Mets in the 1st Round (38th pick) of the 2001 MLB Draft out of high school, and had a prolific 14 year Major League career, all with the NY Mets. Wright’s number 5 was retired by the Mets and he was inducted into the NY Mets Hall of Fame in 2025. Quite a career, quite a player, and the fact that he is from Chesapeake, VA – well, I just had to check out his high school baseball field. And that is exactly what I did today.

After getting parking instructions from the main office and finding a spot near the athletic fields, I walked down a dirt path to the baseball field, which was behind the softball field and next to the football field. A large wooden area formed the perimeter along the first base line and spanned well past the right field area. I spotted a large wooden bat and baseball as I walked towards the field, perhaps a ticket booth or concession stand (building was closed). And what appeared to be a training facility off to the left of the field area with the logo of a large hawk grasping a baseball on the door.

I didn’t find any specific name for the field as I walked up to and around the press box area. On the press box was a huge sign that read “Welcome To The Hawks Nest.” At this point, I concluded that the Hickory High School logo was indeed the Hawks. To the right of the Hawks Nest sign was a championship sign commemorating the 2014 Virginia 5A State Champion Hickory Hawks Baseball team. I looked through the names of the players and did not recognize anyone off hand. I’m fairly confident a good many of them played at the next level, maybe some even higher than that. The team was coached by Head Coach Hank Kraft.

In straightaway center field was the Hickory Baseball scoreboard and two numbers retired, 22 and 17. There was an open gate on the other side of the first base dugout, so I hopped onto the field and headed out to see whose numbers had been retired. No shocker, David Wright’s number 17 was there along with another player “Sizemore 22.” Some quick research and I discovered the other player was Scott Sizemore, who played parts of 4 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Tigers, Athletics, and Yankees. Sizemore played his college ball locally at Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA) and had a very successful stint in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Harwich Mariners. Sizemore was drafted in 5th Round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. He finished his playing career (MLB, MILB) in 2016. A productive 10 year professional baseball run with a very respectable .281 lifetime average. Very cool to learn about Scott Sizemore!

As I was getting ready to leave the field area, I noticed a banner for CHKD Sports Medicine. For those of you not from Hampton Roads, CHKD stands for Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter, and it is a place where David Wright and his family have made a lasting and very positive impression. Wright has contributed generously over the years through his foundation and continues to spend quality time in person at CHKD. Wright and his wife Molly have a playroom named after them at the Hospital in Norfolk. You can read more about David’s inspiring work at CHKD via this local article – Pride of the Mets Maintained Strong Roots in Hampton Roads. Great player on the field, seems like a fantastic human being off the field as well! David Wright, congrats on all your success!

It was a spectacular day here in Hampton Roads. The weather was just gorgeous outside – low to mid 80s, low to zero humidity, nice breeze, sunny skies, feels like summer again. I took the 20 mile ride south from VA Beach to Chesapeake’s Hickory High School, which was a wonderful country road ride through farm lands and really cool small businesses. The Hickory Hawks Baseball field was incredible, game ready, clean, plenty of great views on either side of the fence for fans. The school boasts two incredible alumni, Scott Sizemore and David Wright, plus the 2014 VA State Champs to tell you that the Hickory Hawks baseball program is for real! I loved learning more about the area, the school, the baseball field, and the special players who started their prolific baseball careers at Hickory High School. Overall it was an amazing Chesapeake baseball experience at Hickory High School, home of the Hawks Baseball program.