Photos courtesy of Alexander Tso
Marty Gordon
The New River swelled beyond its banks during Tropical Storm Helene, doing major damage to athletic fields in Radford.
The devastation is just now starting to be seen as the headwaters ease back to their normal level.
Radford University spokesman Greg Wolfe said the flooding brought to the Radford area by Tropical Storm Helene caused devastating impacts to the areas adjacent to the river, notably where RU’s athletics complex lies.
“Outside of Radford, the footprint of our conference, the Big South, has also seen drastic impacts that will take time to recover from. While Radford’s main campus largely avoided any major damage, our intramural fields and baseball stadium suffered flooding damage including multiple feet of standing water. We are still evaluating the impacts to the baseball stadium and will post any updates on our social media feeds,” he said.
The university’s baseball coach, Alex Guerra, feels his field is a total loss. He told reporters earlier this week that Carter Memorial Stadium will need major work.
Radford University transformed its baseball program in April of 2011 by opening a brand-new stadium and making the first significant adjustment to its home park since opening in 1986. Then in 2021 the Highlanders revamped the program by installing a new turf field.
The stadium opened in 2011 when the Highlanders hosted VMI in the first game of a Big South series and changed the baseball experience in the New River Valley.
Sherman Williams Stadium was a private project unlike any before in the history of Radford Athletics, the stadium was completely privately funded through the Radford University Athletics Foundation, through the efforts of the Highlander Club. It gives the program a stadium that is capable of hosting high-level competition, including the Big South Tournament.
Using structural elements of the existing facility, an 800-seat grandstand was constructed on top. Spectators are closer to the action than ever before, with the first row of red, chair-backed seats beginning three feet from the backstop. Sight lines in the grandstand are directed at the center of the field of play. In addition to the grandstand, seating is also available down the left field line on a grass berm.
In information provided by the university, in addition to the stadium, the actual grounds and dugouts saw a complete overhaul in the fall of 2009, setting the stage for the stadium improvements. One of the finest natural playing surfaces in the region, Carolina Green Corp. Athletic Field Construction was in charge of a project that included a new sod, a laser-graded surface of sand-based Tuckahoe bluegrass, and a new irrigation and drainage system underneath the field. New dugouts were also built to fit the changing needs of the program. Both dugouts are 74 feet long, include a deeper bench area with steps up to the field, restrooms, and expanded storage space on either side.
The artificial turf project was privately funded through an anonymous donor, broke ground in November 2020 and was completed in Februrary 2021. FieldTurf, Inc., a world leader with over 20,000 artifical turf field installations worldwide, installed the field which replaces the natural grass surface that has been in place since the stadium’s opening.
Games were originally scheduled to played at the RU location as part of Homecoming activities. Now, they will be moved to Salem’s Memorial Stadium.
Meanwhile damage across the river at the Pete Dye River Course Golf Course was also seen in photos shot by drone high above.
The River Course, originally designed by Ault, Clark and Associates, was built in 1999. The Virginia Tech Foundation acquired the course in 2002. Bordered by 2.5 miles of the scenic and historic New River, the well-designed course had significant potential with eight holes directly affected by the river’s presence.
But the most damage can be found at Bisset Park, where the town’s recreation department saw major damage to its softball and baseball complex, along with a new Pickle Ball Court.
Cleanup has already begun at all of the areas with no final estimate of damages from the monetary side yet to be known.
