From Fredericksburg to Salem, here’s how to cheer on Virginia’s five minor league baseball teams during the 2026 season.
The arrival of spring in Virginia brings with it baseball season, including an assortment of quirky mascots and family-friendly fun. From the waterfront views of Norfolk’s Harbor Park to new branding in Lynchburg and Salem, the commonwealth’s five teams offer plenty of opportunities to enjoy America’s favorite pastime in 2026.
Whether you’re planning a night of fireworks, keeping an eye out for future major league stars, or just looking for a laid-back ballpark outing, here’s what you need to know about Virginia’s minor league teams this season, including team history, key games, and ticket tips.
Fredericksburg Nationals
Location: 42 Jackie Robinson Way, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Calling Virginia Credit Union Stadium home, the Fredericksburg Nationals are affiliated with the Washington Nationals.
The team was established in 1978. Over the course of its history, the team has been affiliated with several major league teams, including the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox. Its current affiliation with the Washington Nationals dates to 2005.
Check out the seating chart before buying your tickets. The season opening is scheduled for Friday, April 3, against the Augusta Greenjackets at 6:35 p.m. Following the game, a fireworks display will light up the stadium. The Nationals end the season on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 1:35 p.m. against the Wilson Warbirds.
Norfolk Tides
Location: 150 Park Ave., Norfolk, VA 23510
Playing out of Harbor Park, the Norfolk Tides name can be traced back to a contest conducted by The Virginian-Pilot in the early 1960s. Despite most readers selecting the “Mariners” name, the editor at the time thought the alliteration of Tidewater Tides sounded better.
The effort to start a new team was precipitated by the 1955 closure of the Tars of the Piedmont League in 1955, leaving the city without a professional baseball team. The team played in various leagues over the years under the ownership of the New York Mets, experiencing success in the 1970s and 1980s by winning the Governors’ Cup championship multiple times.
By the 1990s, the team’s identity began to change: sold to a group of businessmen, it became the Norfolk, not the Tidewater, Tides, and moved into a new stadium.
Located in downtown Norfolk along the Elizabeth River, Harbor Park opened in 1993. It can hold 9,000 attendees on the lower deck, 2,800 on the upper deck, and 400 on the luxury skyboxes.
Today, the Tides are affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles.
The season begins with a home game on Friday, March 27, when the Tides face the Nashville Sounds at 6:35 p.m. The first 10,000 fans will receive a magnet schedule. Another promotion, Free Car Wash Friday, grants fans in attendance a free car wash from Green Clean Express Auto Wash every Friday. The season concludes with a home game on Sunday, Sept. 20, against the Charlotte Knights at 1:05 p.m.
Richmond Flying Squirrels
Location: 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond, VA 23230
The Richmond Flying Squirrels, which are based at CarMax Park, are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. Although the city has been home to professional baseball since 1884, the Flying Squirrels have only called Richmond home since 2010, when the team relocated from Connecticut after the Richmond Braves, which had been in Richmond since 1966, relocated to Georgia after the 2008 season and became the Gwinnett Stripers. The team received its name through a naming contest.
This year, fans will notice a brand refresh that includes new uniforms. The change was made to modernize the brand.
The park serves as an anchor for the city’s Diamond District, a 67-acre mixed-use development in the city with hotels, retail, restaurants, and public green spaces.
The first game the Squirrels will play will be against the Erie SeaWolves on Friday, April 3, at 6:05 p.m. The following Tuesday, April 7, will serve as the first home game against the Altoona Curve at 7:05 p.m.
The final game of the season, against the Chesapeake Baysox, is slated for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 2:05 p.m.
Hill City Howlers
Location: 3180 Fort Ave., Lynchburg, VA 245016
The Hill City Howlers, which are affiliated with the Cleveland Guardians, are based in the City Stadium.
Fans of the Lynchburg-based team will be encouraged to see that there was a brand refresh this year. The move from the previous name of the Lynchburg Hillcats to the Hill City Howlers was made to infuse new energy into the team and give the community something to rally around.
The team now has five mascots, including Indy the Werewolf, Gilly the Creature, Victor the Vampire, Murray the Mummy, and Daisy the Bride. The idea is that these creatures have tunneled their way from the nearby Spring Hill Cemetery to the City Stadium to catch a game. This story ties in with a local legend that Babe Ruth hit a ball so hard during a 1920s exhibition game in Lynchburg that it traveled all the way to Spring Hill Cemetery.
The rebrand coincides with an effort to upgrade parts of the City Stadium, which opened in 1940. Surprisingly, it’s the fifth-oldest Minor League ballpark that’s still in use.
The team has undergone 11 other rebrands throughout its history that stretches all the way back to 1894, when it went by the name the Lynchburg Climbers. Other names the team has been known by include the Shoemakers, the Grays, and the Senators.
The Howlers start the season with an away game against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in Kannapolis, North Carolina, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 2. The first home game isn’t until Tuesday, April 7, at 6:30 against the Fredericksburg Nationals.
The season will draw to a close on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 2:05 with an away game against the Salem RidgeYaks. The last home game of the season will be Sunday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m. against Kannapolis again.
Salem RidgeYaks
Location: 1004 Texas St., Salem, VA 24153
The Salem RidgeYaks call the Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark, which opened in 1995, home.
This year marks the first season that the team has gone by the RidgeYaks name. The new identity was unveiled late last year to align the team with the city’s heritage. The team said the yak was meant to represent the strength and resilience that are characteristic of Southwest Virginia. Blue is featured prominently in the new logo, a nod to the Blue Ridge region.
Previous names have included The Salem Redbirds, Salem Buccaneers, and Salem Avalanche.
The Roanoke Valley has been home to professional baseball since 1887, but it wasn’t until 1939 that Salem fielded its first team. The team later relocated to Roanoke; however, Salem once again established a team in 1955 using the name the Salem Rebels. Over the years, the team changed its name, league, and affiliation.
The team has been affiliated with the Boston Red Sox since 2009, but has been affiliated with other teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Houston Astros in the past.
Check out the seating chart to find the best seat for you before purchasing your ticket.
The season kicks off on April 2 with a home game against the Maryland-based Delmarva Shorebirds at 6:35 p.m. The season concludes with a home game against the Hill City Howlers at 2:05 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6.
