BSV Loves Baseball

On a warm afternoon in 1888, in the rural community of Old Hickory, neighbors gathered in an open field for what would become the first documented organized baseball game in Virginia. There were no bleachers, no scoreboards, just the pop of the ball in a glove, the cheer for a clean hit and the easy laughter of friends spending the day together.

Chris Everett, Sr. VP/Business Development Officer at The Bank of Southside Virginia, knows that story well. His family’s land in Sussex County hosted that first game, and, generations later, the memory still shapes how he sees the sport’s place in the region. “Baseball is the backbone of our communities,” said Everett, who played at Dinwiddie High School and Lynchburg College. “It’s a way for people to get their news. It’s fellowship. It’s just what’s going on in the community.”

For Everett, growing up in Old Hickory meant church in the morning and the ballpark in the afternoon. “You worked six days a week. Then Sunday morning, you went to church. Sunday afternoon, you went out to the ballpark,” said Everett, noting that church leagues often included children’s, youth, women’s and men’s teams to create a full slate of games. “And you either played or spectated. It was a way to share with your community.”

That rhythm has been carried forward for more than a century. Across Southside Virginia, baseball and softball are still where communities gather, friendships are made, and traditions are passed down.

From Sandlots to Stadium Lights

In Wakefield, Paul Rogers, a farmer and director of youth programs, has been part of that tradition for more than 50 years, coaching, organizing and keeping the town’s fields in shape. “Baseball … was a way of life, because it was just so much easier than trying to organize football,” Rogers said. “Baseball was spring. It just was a rebirth.”

Rogers has watched generations cycle through Wakefield’s youth programs. Kids start in tee ball, play through high school, then return to coach their own kids to keep the game alive. “That’s the circle of it,” he said.

Thirty miles away in Colonial Heights, the Tri-City Chili Peppers put a modern spin on that same spirit. As a member of the Coastal Plain League, the summer collegiate team plays under the lights at Shepherd Stadium, mixing competitive play with a festival atmosphere. “We like to think of it as a big party with a baseball game in the middle,” said General Manager Rob Perez. “You don’t have to be a baseball fan. You just like to have a good time.”

But behind the fun is serious player development. “The players coming here are trying to figure out ‘what does a potential career in baseball look like for me?’” he said. “Or also trying to figure out, ‘what do I need to work on, and how can I do that over the summertime?’”

For some, that summer in Southside Virginia has led directly to the pros. Recent alums such as Levi Huesman and Ben Williamson have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams.

And the team also launched Cosmic Baseball, playing under neon lights with a professional crew whose season extends later in the fall.

BSV's Role in Keeping the Tradition Strong

From Old Hickory to Wakefield to Colonial Heights, The Bank of Southside Virginia has long celebrated the game’s survival and growth. Everett points to the bank’s role in reviving Dinwiddie’s American Legion baseball team after a 30-year absence. “BSV was instrumental in that because they didn’t have the funds last year to just put together a team,” said Everett, noting that most small towns at one point boasted an outpost of the veteran’s organization that sponsored a youth team.

The bank also supports one of the crown jewels of youth baseball in the region: the Boys Invitational Baseball Tournament (BIB) at Shepherd Stadium. Sponsored by the Optimist Club, the event draws 11- and 12-year-old teams from across Virginia and beyond for two weeks of high-level play that closes on Aug. 16. “It’s really cool, because you have to sign up early or you don’t get in,” said Everett, who recalls competing in the tournament. “It’s single elimination. You get one opportunity, and you win, you keep going. If you lose, you go home.”

The BIB goes beyond its tournament roots to become a community reunion as families fill the stands. “Everyone who’s ever played baseball down here knows about the BIB,” Everett added.

In Wakefield, BSV’s support was instrumental as Rogers raised funds to transform the town’s main field into a showpiece, with a grass infield, underground irrigation and improved outfields. His next goal is to upgrade the outfield turf in the other fields.

“When those American Legion teams came in here this spring, this summer,” Rogers said, “every one of them came in here, saw me and said, ‘This isn’t the same place we were at last year.’”

That same spirit extends to BSV’s annual sponsorship of the Tri-City Chili Peppers. As part of the partnership, the bank enjoys hosting multiple staff outings and receives four tickets to every home game—tickets that are shared with both employees and customers to spread the fun. “We appreciate the way we’ve been able to work together, and how accommodating they’ve been, and the close partnership that we’ve had with them,” Perez said.

Looking to the Future

Earlier this month, Prince George County announced that it would host the 2027 Dixie Softball World Series, the third time it will host the event at the JEJ Moore Athletic Complex since 2021. Each year, the tournament attracts about 800 players and coaches, generating a highly competitive field and contributing to the region’s economic health. Research by Virginia Tourism shows that average expenditures for each trip total $1,192.

Against that backdrop, the region is seeing a resurgence in earlier programs, starting with an uptick in American Legion sponsorships again. Old Hickory Baseball survived for a century, then was relaunched about 10 years ago through Everett’s brother, Randy, who wanted an environment where his son, Jake, would learn the game. BSV helped to support that vision. “We felt it was important to develop the kids in the community, to teach them life lessons that were more than just softball or baseball,” he said.

Every summer as a youth, he remembers jumping on his bike, meeting up with friends and finding enough people for a pick-up game. “You didn’t need much: a bat, a ball, a glove,” he said. “For me, it was a natural part of growing up.”

That sentiment is echoed by the newest members in the community, like the Chili Peppers. “Baseball in Southside isn’t just about the game,” Perez said. “It’s about community, tradition and giving people a place to come together to make memories that last a lifetime.”