Disharoon Park is now the Home of Virginia Baseball
Feb. 20, 2018
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia department of athletics and the Virginia Athletics Foundation announced today (Feb. 20) a generous commitment has been made by an anonymous donor to name the Virginia baseball stadium, pending formal approval from the University of Virginia Board of Visitors on March 2, 2018.
Once approved, the baseball stadium will be named Disharoon Park in honor of Leslie B. Disharoon and Ann Merriwether Disharoon.
Les and Ann are well-known as long-time and generous supporters of the baseball program. Mrs. Disharoon, who passed away in 2013, was an enthusiastic Virginia baseball fan. Mr. Disharoon remains an active supporter of the baseball program. He has served as a member of the Virginia Athletics Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as on the boards of various other institutions and foundations.
“We are very grateful to our donors, and in particular, this couple who are honoring one of the great Virginia baseball couples of all time in the Disharoons,” said Virginia head baseball coach Brian O’Connor. “Les has been a father figure to our program during my time as coach here and Ann was just as caring and involved while she was with us. To have their name associated with our ballpark is truly meaningful for UVA baseball.”
This gift is part of the $18.76 million expansion to the stadium.
“Having generous donors like this who support the athletics department’s vision of excellence is truly remarkable,” said Virginia director of athletics Carla Williams. “I am thrilled to see the strong level of philanthropy for our baseball program.”
If approved, the formal name for the home of Virginia baseball will be “Davenport Field at Disharoon Park.” Davenport Field was dedicated in 2002 in honor of Thomas Edward Davenport, who served as Executive Director and Secretary/Treasurer of the Virginia Student Aid Foundation (now the Virginia Athletics Foundation) from 1958 until 1988.