SPORTS

[photo, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland]

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland, July 2001. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

The Maryland area is home to several professional sports teams, large sporting facilities, and more than a dozen nationally competitive college-level sports teams.

Perhaps best known for the Terps (Terrapins) basketball team, the University of Maryland athletics program organizes many sporting teams. At College Park, the University operates Byrd Stadium (48,000-person capacity) and Comcast Center, a 17,000 seat basketball facility opening in Fall 2002.

Sport enthusiasts use local paths, such as the Baltimore and Annapolis Trail Park, to hike, jog, cycle, and rollerblade. The "B & A" Trail is a 13.3 mile long path in Anne Arundel County running from Glen Burnie in the North to the north shore of the Severn River in Annapolis. It is a section of the East Coast Greenway that stretches 2,600 miles from Key West, Florida, to Calais, Maine.

Certain sports stadiums and other large facilities in the State are the concern of the Maryland Stadium Authority.

BASEBALL

[photo, Three generations of Orioles fans, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland]

The Baltimore Orioles baseball team is part of the American League (East Division). The team plays in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, one of the nation's first retro-styled stadiums built to recall early baseball parks. Located in downtown Baltimore, the Stadium opened in 1992. It seats 48,262 people. Adjoining buildings include the Orioles' offices, shops, and restaurants.

On April 1, 2002, the Orioles opened their tenth season in Oriole Park, their 48th season in Baltimore.

Three generations of Orioles fans, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland, July 2001. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Bowie Baysox

The Delmarva Shorebirds debuted in the South Atlantic League of Class A minor league baseball in 1996. A Baltimore Orioles affiliate, the team plays at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In 2000, the Shorebirds won the South Atlantic League Championships.

The Frederick Keys team was established in 1989. It is the Carolina League Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and plays at Harry Grove Stadium, which opened in 1990.

The Hagerstown Suns have been part of the South Atlantic League since 1993. They play in Hagerstown at Municipal Stadium, built in 1931. The Suns became a Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in 2001.

BASKETBALL

[Diamondback Terrapin mascot, University of Maryland]

Fear the Turtle

The University of Maryland, College Park, won the national championship in the men's Division I basketball tournament of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on April 1, 2002, beating Indiana University at Atlanta, Georgia.

Diamondback Terrapin mascot, University of Maryland, College Park.

FOOTBALL

Navy football is played at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Opened in 1959, the Stadium seats 30,000. It is home to the midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy athletics department.

The Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League debuted in the 1996 season at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. In 1998, a 69,300-seat stadium was completed to host the team. Ravens Stadium is part of Baltimore's Camden Yards sports complex. In January 2001, the Ravens won the Super Bowl championship.

The Baltimore Burn debuted in April 2001 with 9 other teams in the National Women's Football League. The Burn plays at the Community College of Baltimore County (Dundalk Campus).

The Washington Redskins National Football League team plays at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. The Stadium opened in 1997 and seats 80,116 people.

GOLF

With over 190 courses, golf has become a popular sport in Maryland. The quality of golf courses in Maryland has attracted several professional events, as well as amateur championships. Since 1987, the Tournament Players Club at Avenel in Potomac (Montgomery County) has hosted the Kemper Insurance Open, a regular stop on the PGA Tour. In June 2002, the U.S. Senior Open will be held at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills (Baltimore County) and, in July 2003, the U.S. Junior Amateur Championships will be played at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase (Montgomery County).

[photo, Horse in stable, Timonium, Maryland]

HORSE RACING

Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore hosts the Preakness Stakes (one of three thoroughbred horse races in the world famous Triple Crown). The race is held on the third Saturday in May (most recently on May 18, 2002). In addition, throughout the year, thoroughbred races are held at Laurel Park in Prince George's County, and Timonium Race Course in Baltimore County. Harness racing takes place at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Prince George's County; and Ocean Downs in Berlin, Worcester County. These events contribute to Maryland's reputation as "horse country."

Horse in stable, Timonium, Maryland 1998. Photo by Diane P. Frese.

LACROSSE

The Baltimore Bayhawks debuted in the Nationals Division of Major League Lacrosse in June 2001. They play at Ravens Stadium in the Camden Yards Sports Complex.

RUNNING

Throughout the year, running events center at various locales throughout Maryland, including the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis where the Annapolis Striders sponsor marathons and other events. The Annual Governor's Bay Bridge Run (10k) crosses the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and was last held April 28, 2002. Maryland Running provides information on running clubs, events, and races.

SAILING

[photo, Sailboats at Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland]

In the Chesapeake Bay area, boating is a favorite pastime. Annapolis is known as America's Sailing Capital. Each October, Annapolis hosts the United States Sailboat Show and United States Powerboat Show, the two oldest and largest shows of their kind in the nation. In 2002, Baltimore and Annapolis were stopovers in the Volvo Ocean Race, a grueling nine-month sailboat race around the world.

Sailboats at Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland, August 2001. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

SKIING

Downhill skiing is a popular sport in the Appalachian Mountains of Garrett County in Western Maryland. Cross country skiing and snowmobiling are available throughout the winter at Maryland's forests and parks.

SOCCER

The Baltimore Blast (indoor soccer) joined the National Professional Soccer League (American Conference), as the Baltimore Spirit in 1992 but changed names in 1998 with new ownership. Now part of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), the Blast plays at the Baltimore Arena, which can seat up to 14,000 patrons.