All tagged freedom classic

Mike Parker: 14th Freedom Classic scheduled for Feb. 23-25

Historic Grainger Stadium will yet again host one of the fiercest battles of this year’s baseball season as teams from the United States Naval Academy and the United States Air Force Academy face each other in a three-game competition for bragging rights. This year marks the 14th Freedom Classic baseball competition involving U.S. service academies.

11th annual Freedom Classic at Historic Grainger Stadium

The Kinston Lenoir County Parks and Recreation will host the 11th annual Freedom Classic today through Sunday at Historic Grainger Stadium located at 400 E. Grainger Ave in Kinston. The first pitch for the first game today (Friday) has been moved to 5:00 pm and gates will be open at 3:00 pm. The Freedom Classic will feature the Air Force Falcons versus Army Black Knights. Before Saturday’s game, F15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base will do military flyovers. Military Appreciation and pre-game ceremonies will be held 20 minutes prior to each game.

Mike Parker: What lies ahead for the Freedom Classic?

For the first time in 10 years, the annual Freedom Classic baseball competition between teams from the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy had to be canceled in Kinston. Mother Nature played a mean trick by dumping the only snow we are likely to see this season on our area the evening of Thursday, Feb. 20. The coaches from Navy and Air Force moved this year’s competition to the home field of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. But what about the preparations and sponsorships of this year’s Freedom Classic? Will sponsors get their money back?