Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.43
V. Earl Dickinson Stadium
Hanover Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Fly Like an Eagle
Located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the University of Mary Washington plays its baseball games at V. Earl Dickinson Stadium within the Battleground Athletic Complex. Located just off campus, the Battleground is home to several of the Eagles' athletic teams. In addition to baseball, there are facilities here for UMW's soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, track & field, and softball teams.
Food & Beverage 0
According to the UMW website, there is a concession stand at V. Earl Dickinson Stadium, and there is a window behind home plate by the stairs to the seating area that could plausibly have one. However, the window was closed when Stadium Journey visited and it is unclear if it is ever open.
Atmosphere 2
V. Earl Dickinson Stadium has several sections of bleacher seating, accessible via stairways and ramps through a brick exterior facade. All seats are behind netting but otherwise offer excellent views of the action. A scoreboard in the outfield shows a linescore and other basic information.
A UMW baseball game is a pretty basic experience. Music is played during some breaks in the action, but is quiet and unintrusive. Most of the music is the standard ballpark background music, but the decision to play some pregame British sea chanteys over the PA system (on St. Patrick's Day, of all days) was certainly an interesting choice.
Neighborhood 4
The Battleground Athletic Complex, of which V. Earl Dickinson Stadium is a part, is located just off I-95 in Fredericksburg. It is in a residential area near the UMW campus, but if you head back towards Route 3, you will find many options. The Metro Diner is a local favorite, and Cook Out serves up burgers and more at a great value. There are many other options up and down Route 3 from Mexican to Salvadoran to Thai to Mediterranean cuisine. However, you may have to drive a bit to get there.
Fans 3
The University of Mary Washington draws a typical crowd for Division III baseball. Most of the fans are friends and family of the players, alumni, or others with some connection to the university. You will usually see a good number of visiting fans as well, who will probably fall into one of the aforementioned categories. The crowd here is pretty casual, cheering big plays but otherwise are not particularly involved.
Access 4
V. Earl Dickinson Stadium is just off I-95 in Fredericksburg, so it is easy to get to. However, keep in mind the portion of I-95 between Washington and Fredericksburg is one of the most congested stretches of highway in the nation, so allot extra time.
The extension of the Express Lanes to Fredericksburg will help alleviate traffic if they are running southbound at the time of your trip, but if you want to use them to speed by traffic, expect to pay a massive toll unless you have at least three people in your vehicle and the EZ-Pass Flex transponder set in the right mode.
Once at the Battleground, free parking is available in a lot in the back of the complex or a smaller one by the entrance. The latter one will put you closer to the stadium but may fill up quickly with game personnel. You should have no problem parking in the back lot, as it never fills up, but you will have to walk a few minutes down a gravel hill to the stadium.
Restrooms are located behind the grandstand. They are small, but as there are very few fans who show up, they are of a sufficient size. Keep in mind the players do not have their own restroom, so if you are using the men's room, you may encounter them in there and will want to yield to them so they can get back to the field quickly.
Return on Investment 4
Admission to all UMW baseball games, with the possible exception of conference and NCAA tournament games, is free. Parking is also free, so you won't pay anything to attend. However, there isn't enough here to earn the top score.
Extras 0
There are no real extras here. This is baseball at its most basic level.
Final Thoughts
V. Earl Dickinson Stadium is a modern ballpark and baseball fans in the Fredericksburg area or with some connection to the University of Mary Washington may want to check out a game here.
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