RedWolves upgrade Legion Field

FLORENCE — The Florence RedWolves’ roster has undergone many changes since the end of last season.
The venue where the team plays has also seen some changes.
Last month, the Florence County Council allotted $7,500 for renovations to American Legion Field.
“This is the nicest the field’s ever been,” RedWolves owner Kevin Barth said. “We’re really excited about the season.”
The RedWolves used some of the money to upgrade the fan section known as the “Beer Garden.”
New furniture has been put in, and the section is enclosed with ceiling fans for those hot summer nights and pop-up thunderstorms.
“We try to do something new every year to make the fans’ experience better,” Barth said. “The new ‘Beer Garden’ should be the place to be this summer.”
Florence also wanted to limit the number of home runs hit to right field. When the weather turns warmer, the ballpark becomes a launching pad for the long ball.
So the team added a 10-foot extension to the wall in right. Instead of screaming line drives flying over the 305-foot wall, a batter will have to hit the ball a great deal higher to pad his power stats.
To the pitchers, however, the new wall isn’t that much of a psychological advantage.
“I try not to think about that kind of stuff very much,” Florence pitcher Steve Grife said. “If I do give up a home run (over the wall in right), it’s not going to bother me.”

Hot-hitting pitcher
During Tuesday’s Media/Fan day at Legion Field, fans were treated to a home-run derby.
Pitcher Andre Benjamin was the talk of the first round, slamming five homers, three sailing over 400 feet.
When asked if the Grand Valley State standout would hit for himself this season, Florence coach Wes Davis took a wait-and-see approach.
“It’s a little early to see,” he said. “But if we get into extra innings and we’re out of guys, he’ll definitely get a shot.”

Owls race car finishes 28th
The Forest City Owls #52 Brad Teague car achieved its third-best finish of the season after placing 28th in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 at last Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Charlotte, N. C.
Teague and Jimmy Means Racing partnered with the Owls during one of NASCAR’s most prestigious race weekends.
The team finished their second-best race of the year after completing 196 of 202 laps and placed 28th overall. Teague’s best showing was at the Diamond Hill Plywood 300 where he finished 22nd after starting 39th.
The Owls logo was the “primary logo” on the blue 52 car and caught national exposure due to the race being broadcast on ESPN 2.

Did you know?
Florence has never missed the Petitt Cup tournament in eight seasons under the Coastal Plain League’s current playoff format.