Hawk Stadium - UMES Hawks
- Gregory Koch
- Apr 19
- 4 min read
Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Hawk Stadium
31040 Backbone Rd
Princess Anne, MD 21853
Year Opened: 2008
Capacity: 1,000
UMES in Princess Anne
The University of Maryland – Eastern Shore (UMES) is a Historically Black Land-Grant University located on the Delmarva Peninsula just south of Salisbury, Maryland. Founded in 1886 the university has gone through several names: Delaware Conference Academy, Industrial Branch of Morgan State College, Princess Anne Academy, Maryland Agricultural College and Maryland State College before switching to its current name in 1970.
Maryland-Eastern Shore's athletic teams are known as the Hawks, and their baseball team calls Hawk Stadium on the UMES campus home. Hawk Stadium had been falling into disrepair for many years, eventually forcing the team to play off-campus, first at Perdue Stadium, home of the Delmarva Shorebirds, and later at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex, where the Hawks played in a municipal sports complex surrounded by little league fields. This was devastating to team morale, and the team went 0-48 in 2024, the first Division I baseball team to go winless in 15 years. Finally, after many false starts and delays, Hawk Stadium was renovated and re-opened in time for the 2026 season, giving the Hawks the on-campus home they deserve.
Food & Beverage 1
There is no food or drink for sale at Hawk Stadium, but there are vending machines in the lobby of the adjacent Hytche Athletic Center if you get hungry. Fans can also bring their own food or drink, which seems like the better option.
Atmosphere 3
As part of the renovations, Hawk Stadium received a new set of metal bleachers behind home plate. You will be up close to the action and be able to see everything going on on the field. You can even hear the players, coaches, and umpires shouting. There is music during breaks in the action, but it is not intrusive. A scoreboard in the outfield shows the linescore and has the team logo and name of the stadium as well as a lot of empty space that perhaps was intended to be used for graphics.
There is not much going on here other than the game itself, but at least the quality of the stadium has improved from what it used to be. If you look up to the sky, you may see hawks or other large birds circling high above the Eastern Shore.
Neighborhood 2
There is nothing much right around UMES. Most of the non-chain restaurants have closed in the past few years, living you with very few options if you want a unique, local place to eat. Salisbury is only a 20 minute drive away and has a lot more options. If going late in the season, you can make a weekend out of it and head to Ocean City or the other Maryland beaches, which are within an hour's drive if there is no traffic (far from a given.)
Fans 2
The fans at a Maryland-Eastern Shore game are mostly friends and family of the players on one team or the other. It is the typical northeast college baseball crowd. A handful of students and locals show up, but the crowds here number in the dozens - a hundred on a good day. That does allow fans to focus on the action on the field, which for some purists may be a plus.
Access 3
There is a large parking lot located beyond the outfield fence near the Hytche Center, and parking is free. Just don't park too close or your windshield may be smashed by a home run. Restrooms are located in the lobby of the Hytche Center. Enter through the side door down the third base line that has the Hawk logo on it.
Return on Investment 5
Admission to UMES baseball games is free, as is parking. At a newly renovated stadium, this is an excellent value.
Extras 2
Bullpens are located down the lines next to the walking path to the stadium, allowing fans to see pitchers warm up up close.
Be sure to head into the lobby of the Hytche Center, where there is a display of UMES athletes who have gone on to play sports professionally. Amidst numerous bowling and football jerseys, you will find the San Diego Padres spring training jersey of Ira "Dude" Smith, a former UMES baseball player who went on to play in the minor leagues and independent ball. Although he never played a regular season game in the big leagues, he played spring training games for several clubs and is the most famous UMES baseball player in history.
Final Thoughts
Hawk Stadium has improved significantly following recent renovations, although this is a low bar to clear. It is still a pretty basic stadium typical of those in the northeast, but the program, which hit an all-time low point a few years ago, is rising again and has a stadium to go with it.
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