For Immediate Release March 5, 2001
Roanoke to Add Varsity Baseball
Varsity Play Begins in 2002, Becomes 19th Varsity Sport
SALEM, VA--The Roanoke College Board of Trustees announced on Monday that the school will add baseball as its 19th varsity sport beginning in the spring of 2002. This will be the first time Roanoke will have a varsity baseball team since the mid-1950s when the sport was dropped as a varsity program for a variety of reasons. Roanoke will continue as a club team in 2001, as its has been for several years, and will begin a limited varsity schedule in the spring of 2002. The team will then become eligible for the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship starting in the spring of 2003. On the school’s addition to the athletic program, Roanoke College athletic director Scott Allison commented, “We’re pleased that the college has chosen the athletic department as its medium for extending its hand to prospective students. With the strong foundation of baseball in Southwest Virginia and the success of the athletic department as a whole, we believe baseball will become a very competitive sport at Roanoke.”
Although an official varsity coach has not been named, former Radford standout Kelly Dampeer has been named the head coach of this season’s club team. The search for an official, permanent coach will begin following the season.
Roanoke will practice and play its games at Salem’s Kiwanis Stadium. The agreement between the College and the City of Salem will work much the same way as the agreement with the Roanoke softball team and the James I. Moyer Sports Complex. That relationship has been very successful for both parties over the past four years.
The addition of baseball will give the Old Dominion Athletic Conference 10 baseball playing institutions. The league has recognized the sport as a championship sport since 1977. Roanoke last added a varsity sport in 1997 when the softball team began play with varsity status.