Greenville Drive Announce Dr. Burke Royster as Organization’s 16th Annual Green Day Honoree

Greenville, S.C. – The Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, announced today that Dr. Burke Royster has been selected as the honoree for the team’s annual Green Day celebration, presented by TD Bank, this year to be held on Wednesday August 10th at Fluor Field when the Drive host the Hickory Crawdads.

Each year, the Drive pays tribute to an individual who has helped make Greenville one of the most livable, desired, and thriving cities in the country. Throughout his tenure leading Greenville County Schools, Dr. Royster has helped not only to improve the district’s overall report rating but also to deliver enhancements across the board in instructional delivery, student engagement, and rigor while achieving a double-digit increase in the county’s high school graduation rate. He has also helped to create innovative public/private partnerships and curriculum changes like the Graduation Plus program that have resulted in developing a more prepared area workforce. The Drive are excited and honored to recognize Dr. Royster as this year’s Green Day honoree.

“As long-standing supporters of our public schools, the Drive organization knows that there is no more direct and tangible impact on the future than education,” said Greenville Drive President and Owner Craig Brown. “As we celebrate Green Day this year, we’re honored to recognize and celebrate Dr. Royster for his efforts in empowering and educating all of our community’s young people and preparing them for an even brighter tomorrow.”

“I greatly appreciate this recognition, and I’m deeply honored to serve alongside the 11,000 employees within Greenville County Schools who are working to inspire, support and prepare our students each and every day,” said Dr. Royster. “We cannot do what we do without the leadership of the GCS Board of Trustees and significant community partnerships like the one we have with the Greenville Drive. I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate on Green Day all that Greenville County Schools and this community have accomplished, and I look forward to being a part of the continued progress as we make sure that Greenville County remains one of the best places in the country to live, learn, and work.”

Royster joins an acclaimed group of Green Day honorees, including Mayor Max Heller and his wife, Trudy (2006); Greenville City Councilwoman Lillian Brock Flemming and Greenville County Councilwoman Xanthene Norris (2007); former Greenville Technical College President Dr. Tom Barton (2008); businessman and philanthropist C. Dan Joyner (2009); civic leader, judge and attorney Merl Code (2010); former S.C. Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley (2011); South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Founder Dr. Virginia Uldrick (2012); environmentalist and attorney Tommy Wyche (2013); philanthropists Hayne and Anna Kate Hipp (2014); Centennial American Properties CEO David Glenn (2015); Erwin Penland Co-Founder Joe Erwin (2016); Hughes Development Corporation Chairman Bob Hughes (2017); Spinx Chairman Stewart Spinks (2018); Southernside Neighborhood President Mary Duckett (2019) and Mayor Knox White (2021).

In honor of Green Day and Greenville’s birthday celebration, Drive players will wear special green uniforms and caps on Green Day, and fans are encouraged to create a “green out” by sporting green, as well. First pitch is set for 7:05pm against the Hickory Crawdads. The first 2,000 fans through the stadium gates will receive a commemorative Green Day t-shirt, and the first 1,000 kids will receive a commemorative Green Day cape, all courtesy of TD Bank. Dr. Royster will be honored on the field just prior to the first pitch and again during the game. Following the game, the Drive invites fans to stick around for a spectacular birthday firework show in celebration of Greenville’s birthday.

To purchase tickets for Green Day on Wednesday, August 10th, go to the Main Street Box Office, call (864) 240-4528 or *[CLICK HERE](https://gd1.glitnirticketing.com/gdticket/web/stadiumgb_svg.php?status_id=2&event_id=98&tfl=Greenville_Drive_Single_Game_Tickets-tickets-na-single_game_tickets-x0-unknown-unknown&ga=2.182487334.1289177350.1658498356-458190560.1646148210&refresh=1658850205). *

Scout Day at the Drive

*Enjoy the Adventure, Achievement & Fun at Fluor Field on Sunday, July 24th! *

Special Scout Day programming includes:

  • Commemorative Scout Day at the Drive patch
  • Pre-game Parade of Champions around the warning track of Fluor Field
  • In-game Recognitions of Upstate Scouts and Scout Leaders
  • Opportunity to participate in between-inning games
  • Post-game Kids Run the Bases with Reedy Rip’It
  • PLUS, a post-game campout on the field!

All tickets are General Admission and will be located on the 1st base side of the stadium in sections 116-120 to accommodate group seating by troop/pack.

Tickets are $8 each for game + post-game campout on the field! To secure your ticket, click HERE.

Additional information will be sent out closer to the date surrounding the campout rules and procedures.

Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Night

Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Night at the Drive is an annual celebration of the exciting and innovative world of today’s manufacturing industry. It’s an opportunity for students to interact with current professionals, educators, and representatives from leading organizations throughout the Upstate, such as BMW, Greenville Technical College, Michelin, General Electric, Milliken, Greenville County Schools, and more to learn and grow their interest in this possible career path.

This year’s 7th annual AM&E Night at the Drive will, once again, feature in-person experiences at Fluor Field, as well as virtual experiences online for all students and educators that are unable to attend the event at Fluor Field.

For more information and to purchase your tickets, click HERE.

Drive, City of Greenville Parks & Rec to Host Local MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Competition

The Greenville Drive and City of Greenville Parks & Rec are excited to partner together and host a local competition of Pitch, Hit & Run, the official skills competition of Major League Baseball. The event will take place at Fluor Field on Wednesday, July 20th from 6 PM to 8 PM.

While not required, pre-registration is encouraged, and can be done so by clicking HERE. Those wishing to participate should enter Fluor Field through the Main Street Gate. Proof of age and grade is required upon check-in.

The MLB Pitch, Hit & Run program is designed to provide youth with an opportunity to compete, free of charge, in a competition that recognizes individual excellence in core baseball/softball skills. Boys and girls have a chance to advance to the Major League Team Championships and to the MLB World Series. It is also recommended that participants bring their own bat and helmet.

In the Pitch, Hit & Run program, there are both a baseball and softball division. Participants are only permitted to participate in the sport/ division in which they have played in their local league/travel play or by age. Participants may compete in only ONE division per competition year. A participant is not able to switch divisions once they have begun a competition. If athletes are found participating in a division in which they do not qualify, they will be removed from all further competitions and disqualified.

The divisions and age groups for competition are the following:

  • Baseball Division – 7-8 Age Division; 9-10 Age Division; 11-12 Age Division; 13-14 Age Division
  • Softball Division – 7-8 Age Division; 9-10 Age Division; 11-12 Age Division; 13-14 Age Division

For more information about the program, visit MLB Pitch, Hit & Run

United Way of Greenville County Centennial Celebration Held at Fluor Field

United Way of Greenville County is celebrating 100 years of impact and service to the Greenville community and they’re inviting you to join in on fun! Starting at 6 PM when the gates open, enjoy the fun throughout the concourse with our Drive inflatables, face painting, balloon art, and magic!

Throughout the game, the Drive will honor and recognize different leaders, organizations and volunteers that have helped to shape the lives of so many throughout Greenville County. If you were a Hands on Greenville Day volunteer, make sure to wear your t-shirt to the game and pick up a free drink voucher at a specially marked table at either gate. End the night with a bang and make sure to stick around for the best fireworks show in town, courtesy of United Way of Greenville County.

Get tickets for the night HERE.

Drive Hosts Second Annual Aerospace Night

The Greenville Drive & the SC Aerospace Team are excited to host the second annual Aerospace Night at Fluor Field event this year on Wednesday June 22nd. Building on the incredible success of last year’s first-ever Aerospace Night event, this signature event at Fluor Field will highlight and showcase, in a unique and impactful way, the companies and leaders driving the success of the Aerospace industry in our community and throughout the state.

All aspects of the Aerospace Industry will be on display during the Drive game on June 22nd including impactful, educational, and engaging entertainment content on the stadium concourse as well as before and during the Drive game. The stadium concourse will come alive with engaging displays from leading Aerospace companies in the Upstate including Lockheed Martin, Champion Aerospace, Kelley Engineering, Gemba Systems, HTI, and more! The night will also feature additional entertainment including a pre-game stadium flyover from Prisma Health, a Color Guard performance by the Civil Air Patrol Squadron, a mini Airplane toss inning break, and much more!

To help build our community’s Aerospace workforce of the future, all K-12 students in the community can receive a complimentary ticket to the game. Students and the general public should follow the instructions below to claim their tickets:

  1. Students: visit www.GreenvilleDrive.com/groupportal and use the password “aerospace” to enter the portal. Also use the promo code “aerospace” to claim your complimentary ticket during check-out. Make sure to click apply!
  2. General Public: visit https://www.milb.com/greenville/tickets/single-game-tickets to purchase your tickets.

This will be a highly educational and impactful event at Fluor Field on June 22nd! Gates open at 6pm with first pitch to follow at 7pm. See you at the game!

Drive Honor Black Spinners

On Friday, June 10th, the Greenville Drive will honor the successful Black Spinners team from the early 1900’s. This night is important not only to the Drive, but to the Greenville Community. With the opening of Unity Park, it’s important to honor The Black Spinners, Sterling High School, and the Negro League All-Stars that all once played at Mayberry Field and meant a lot to this community.

They will take the field sporting “throwback-style” uniforms to showcase the Black Spinners team look to the modern day Greenville community.

During the pre-game ceremonies, the Drive will recognize Frank White, the only remaining living Black Spinners player, as well as family members of former Black Spinners players. John Whiteside, a former shortstop at Sterling High School, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Throughout the game, vignettes will run on the DriveVision video board, telling the story of the Black Spinners, Sterling High School, and the Negro League All-Stars.

We look forward to telling and honoring the stories of historic baseball teams from our very own community!

Salute to America, Event to Honor Vietnam POWs

Join The Drive on Friday, June 3 at 6 PM in celebrating a special group of people, the Vietnam POWs. Members of the United States Armed Forces were held as prisoners of war (POWs) in significant numbers during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973. The POWs spent years living in unimaginable circumstances. They had a mission to resist, survive and return with honor, and they did.

Fluor Field will be alive with large groups of POWs in Greenville for a reunion and celebration of their survival. Let’s show up and celebrate with them!

Using this evening to celebrate a perfect night of patriotism, bring your family out to Fluor Field for a complimentary community event. Saluting America together, a chance for us to come out and say thank you!

The evening will include special entertainment as a flag jump takes off in a helicopter and then lands back in the stadium. Continued programing to include Miss Liberty Belle, a patriotic fly over, and our special guest Steve Amerson (America’s Tenor) performing “Amazed by America” accompanied by Broadway singer, Laurie Gayle Stephenson. Ending the night in full celebration, we will conclude with fireworks!

You can register for the complimentary event HERE or by using the QR code above.

Come out to Fluor Field to show your appreciation for the these fearless members of society!

Schedule:

6:00 Doors open and concessions open

6:30 Program starts

6:45 Flag Jump into the stadium

7-7:30 Miss Liberty Belle

7:30 Fly over and Salute to America Musical Performance

8:40-8:45 Fireworks

Complimentary community event with donations to the Vietnam POW Reunion Foundation accepted.

The Greenville Drive Celebrates 10-Year Partnership with The Blood Connection 

The Greenville Drive takes great pride in being the front porch for the community of Greenville, which means they strive to aid their community. For 10 years the Drive has partnered with The Blood Connection to be a positive light in Greenville. The Drive announced a goal to secure 356 pints of usable blood over the course of the season through a series of six blood drives running from mid-April through mid-August at Fluor Field. The number 356 is special to The Drive, as it commemorates Shoeless Joe Jackson’s lifetime batting average and the name of the new District 356 entertainment area adjacent to Fluor Field.

The first two of these events took place on April 11 and April 20, with four additional tenth anniversary blood drives at Fluor Field set for:

  • Friday, May 20 from noon-5 p.m. (gameday)
  • Tuesday, June 7 from noon-5 p.m. (gameday)
  • Thursday, July 21 noon-5 p.m.
  • Friday, August 12 from noon-5 p.m. (gameday)

To encourage and recognize the importance of blood donors in helping friends and neighbors at their time of greatest need, the Ten Years of Saving Lives Campaign will include special rewards and incentives for those who donate at these events. The Blood Connection and the Greenville Drive will recognize the dedicated donors across the season at an end of the year event. Donate at two of the Fluor Field blood drives to be invited; donate at 3 throughout the summer and receive a commemorative Drive baseball jersey.

“In sports, we can sometimes throw the word ‘hero’ around a bit lightly, but those who donate blood are lifesavers and heroes in the truest sense of the word and should be treated accordingly,” said Greenville Drive Vice President of Marketing Jeff Brown. “Our work with The Blood Connection is not only one of our longest-standing relationships, but it is also core to The Drive’s mission to be a force for good in Greenville and beyond. We are proud to celebrate this milestone, and we know that the Greenville community will help us deliver on our very aggressive donation goals, because, just as we work to support them, this community has never let us down. As always, together, we win.”

Appointments are recommended but not required for donation, but those who need more information or wish to register in advance can do so HERE.

Drive For Excellence 2022

In partnership with Greenville County Schools and Furman University, the Drive will be hosting their annual Drive for Excellence celebration on Tuesday, May 17th. This evening is all about recognizing high-achieving student-athletes in Greenville County, as each student-athlete with a 4.0 GPA or higher will receive complimentary admission to the game plus in-game recognition and celebration for their hard work and many accomplishments.

A pregame reception for student-athletes and coaches in the 500 Club will begin at 5:30 PM. As part of the reception, special guest Jackie Carson, the current head coach of the Furman Women’s Basketball Team, will deliver a keynote address congratulating these students for their accomplishments and encouraging future success in all of them.

During the game, on-field recognitions will honor the top performing school in each sport, as well as the school with the highest overall GPA among its student-athletes.

Join us on Tuesday night at Fluor Field to help celebrate these hard-working students for their efforts both in the classroom and on the field!

Christ Church and St. Joe's Take Center Stage Thursday at Fluor Field

Two Upstate high school baseball programs will take center stage Thursday night at Fluor Field, as the Christ Church Cavaliers take on the St. Joe’s Knights. This will be the final high school game of the year at Fluor Field. First pitch between the Cavaliers and Knights is set for 6 PM.

All tickets are just $7, and can be purchased by clicking HERE.

The Main Street Gate at Fluor Field will open at 5 PM. Due to the construction of the all-new District 356 entertainment area, Field Street (first base side of the ballpark) will be closed off to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Concession stands will be open at Fluor Field, and outside food and beverage is prohibited. In conjunction with SCHSL rules, alcohol will not be sold during Thursday’s game at Fluor Field.

Please also make sure you are up-to-date with Fluor Field’s Clear Bag Policy, which can be found by clicking HERE.

Blood Drive Hosted at Fluor Field During Wednesday's Game

As blood donations continue to have an urgent need in our Community, the Greenville Drive and The Blood Connection will host another Blood Drive at Fluor Field on Wednesday, April 20th. Blood mobiles will be setup along Field Street.

The Blood Drive will begin at 2 PM, and conclude with the first pitch of Wednesday’s game at 7 PM. Walk-up donations are allowed, but those wishing to donate are encouraged to pre-register for a time slot by clicking HERE.

Donors will receive a commemorative raglan t-shirt, clear bag, and a voucher for two tickets to a future Drive game!

First Reading All-Stars Celebration is Sunday, April 24th!

The first of three Reading All-Stars games this season. Presented by Michelin, this program uses the fun and excitement of Greenville Drive baseball to encourage elementary and middle school students to read. If students achieve Reading All-Star status, they earn a complimentary ticket to the game.

This game will see students from Anderson, Pickens, Laurens, and Spartanburg County schools. Each Reading All-Star will get the chance to walk in a pregame parade or attend a Meet the Team event prior to the game and get a new RAS t-shirt and book to take home with them.

Students and teachers will be recognized throughout the game as we celebrate their accomplishments!

Health Careers Night is Wednesday, April 20th

Wednesday night is Health Careers Night. Throughout the night, the Drive will be promoting careers in the healthcare industry to encourage and educate students interested in following this career path. The day begins at 2pm on Field St. with The Blood Connection blood drive. Donors can register by clicking HERE and will receive a raglan t-shirt, clear bag and a voucher for 2 tickets to a future Drive game.

Take part in a free Root Cause community health services fair on Field St. starting at 5 PM brought to you by Prisma Health and University of SC School of Medicine Greenville. This interactive fair leading up to the first pitch will include information and activities from community partners such as Carolina Wellness, Greenville Technical College Dental programs, American Heart Association, New Horizons and more.

At 5:30 PM, there will be a lively panel discussion in the 500 Club geared towards middle and high school students and their parents. Experts and professionals from Prisma Health and Greenville County Schools will be onsite discussing their own personal pathways to a career in the healthcare industry. Enjoy complimentary ice cream following the discussion!

When gates open to the public at 6 PM, the concourse will be alive with different interactive exhibits from Prisma Health, Greenville Technical College, Furman University and more.

For even more information on this special night, and to get tickets, click HERE.

3rd Annual Teach GCS Night is Tuesday, April 19th

In partnership with Public Education Partners of Greenville County, Greenville Count Schools, and Herff Jones, the Greenville Drive will host their 3rd annual Teach GCS Night at Fluor Field this Tuesday to kick-off the homestand versus the Winston-Salem Dash – affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

A night to elevate teachers in Greenville County Schools, and celebrate their profession, the evening begins at 5 PM with a special pre-game picnic in the 500 Club for all first-year teachers and their mentors! Those attending this picnic should have received a special invitation from Public Education Partners!

When gates to Fluor Field officially open at 6 PM, all teachers will receive a complimentary “My Drive to Teach” t-shirt courtesy of Herff Jones, and a $5 ballpark voucher compliments of the Drive that can be used at any of the concession stands!

Teachers from across Greenville County Schools will be recognized pre-game and throughout the night! Anne Tromsness, the 2021-22 Greenville County Schools Teacher of the Year will throw out the Ceremonial First Pitch, while Matt DeHart and Caroline Black, two of Greenville County Schools “Emerging Teachers” will serve as the Honorary Captains. Christian Scott, Sarah Poole and Anna Hasenkamp, the Greenville County Schools Teacher of the Year Runners-Up will kick the game off as Honorary Play Ball Announcers!

In-game inning breaks will include live interviews with Superintendent Dr. Burke Royster, as well as GCS Trustee Chuck Saylors.

You’ll want to be part of this special night, when we recognize and thank our Greenville County School teachers. Click HERE to purchase tickets!