Bristol baseball returns with first pitch in 2027 in Blue Ridge League

Baseball has been synonymous with Bristol, Virginia for decades, with the first pitch thrown in 1911 with the Bristol Boosters and an affiliation with the Appalachian League.

The grand ole game is returning to Bristol beginning next summer as City Council approves a lease agreement with Sullimack Entertainment for use of Boyce Cox Field to field a roster of collegiate and local high school players.

The Bristol lineup also adds a ninth team to the Blue Ridge League for an I-81 series with the existing Marion Hungry Mothers.

The Appalachian League announced earlier this year that the Bristol State Liners would return to the diamond in the summer of 2027 after a proposed new stadium project with the city failed to materialize.

(GRAPHIC: Property of Blue Ridge League / Official Facebook)