A new home, a familiar ending
The Hawks opened the renovated Hawks Field on Tuesday night with a 5-4 walk-off win over Central in front of 3,150 fans, the largest crowd at the ballpark in 12 years.
With runners on first and second and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, senior catcher Rafael Ortiz lined a single into left field. Junior Marco Díaz scored from second, beating the throw with a head-first slide. Sophomore pitcher Liam Chen struck out eight in six innings.
Central had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth on a two-run home run. The Hawks tied it in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Díaz. Senior closer Nate Holmes pitched a scoreless ninth to set up the winning rally.
First game in the new park, and the first thing I did was get the whole team to tackle me. That's a good start.
What's new
The $6.5 million renovation, announced in October 2025, added chairback seating for 1,200 fans, a new press box, lights that meet broadcast standards and a turf infield that can be used within an hour after rain. The team's clubhouse was rebuilt with a video room and a larger training area.
The Hawks play 18 more home games this season, including a three-game conference series against Coastal starting April 17. Students get in free with a university ID. See the full schedule on the baseball page.
Before the game, former Hawks players from the 1998 conference championship team threw ceremonial first pitches.
