BECKLEY, W.V. (LOOTPRESS) – After not being able to have a season last year due to COVID-19, today, West Virginia Miners Baseball celebrated the start of the 2021 season with an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley.
The event was attended by West Virginia Miners Manager Tim Epling and family, members of the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce (BRCCC), city officials and other members of the community.
“Everyone is excited,” Epling said of the upcoming season. “We are opening up a new year. We didn’t get to play last year, and we had a lot of calls asking if we would play this year. It’s a brand-new year, and we are back!”
With COVID-19 still prevalent in the state, Epling explained that they waited until their fall league meetings to decide whether or not to open the stadium this year.
By October, Epling said everyone was on board and ready to get out on the field.
“It’s refreshing to be able to get back to normal life,” he said. “That is the big thing. People are eager to go outside. They are eager to go out and enjoy the game and just get away from everyday life.”
On behalf of the BRCCC Heather Ouimette, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, wished the Miners a great season.
“Thank you for being such an amazing community partner and for everything that you do and for this amazing facility. We are so blessed and so lucky to have it here. We are wishing you all the best getting things back in swing for 2021.”
The Miner’s first game of the season is an away game at JHN on Thursday, May 27, 2021. The team’s first home game against JHN at 6:35 p.m. on Friday, May 28.
Visit the team’s full schedule here.