Glenville State baseball team beautifying Yeager Airport - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Glenville State baseball team beautifying Yeager Airport

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Glenville State College students plant trees on a hill near Yeager Airport in 2010. Glenville State College students plant trees on a hill near Yeager Airport in 2010.

Here's a baseball team that will be concentrating on shovels before they reach for the bats.

As part of Earth Day 2012, members of the Glenville State College Pioneer baseball team will be planting trees, shrubs and flowers around the newly configured entrance to Yeager Airport in Charleston. The team's work will begin at 10 a.m. April 20.

This is the first year GSC has had a baseball team since 1983. The coaching staff is pleased the players are involved in a community service project that will benefit West Virginia, its residents and its visitors.  

"We're pleased to be back on the diamond playing baseball this spring," said head coach Tom Gilbert. "We're also extremely excited to perform our first community service project beautifying Yeager Airport and West Virginia as part of national Earth Day activities." 

After the team finishes sprucing up Yeager, the Pioneers will head over to West Virginia State University to play the Yellow Jackets in a double header beginning at 1 p.m.

This marks the fourth year row that GSC students, faculty and staff have 'adopted' Yeager Airport.  To date, 10,000 trees have been planted as part of reclamation efforts on the side of the mountain facing Interstate 79 that was moved to extend the runway.  GSC's Land Resources Department led the effort with help from GSC athletics and the college's Student Government Association as well as assistance from other colleges, schools and donors.