Potomac News Online | Recreation: Area sports include national and local teams
Back to Discover Prince William
For Prince William County fans and athletes, the following is a summary of the area’s sports action:
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS
Baseball
– The Potomac Nationals: Fans who want to see professional baseball without driving to Washington need only plan for a cozy outing at the Prince William County Stadium Complex.
The Potomac Nationals are the Class A farm club of the Washington Nationals. Prior to their affiliation with the Nationals, the P-Nats also produced players in the Reds, Cardinals, White Sox, Yankees and Pirates organizations.
Now in the midst of the 140-game Carolina League schedule, the P-Nats play their home games in G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium, which seats approximately 6,000 fans. The stadium is on Prince William Parkway.
Current major league stars such as Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Mike Cameron, Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte have played in Prince William.
For ticket and schedule information, contact the Potomac Nationals at (703) 590-2311, or see their Web site at www.potomacnationals.com.
– This spring saw the return of major league baseball to the metro area with the arrival of the Washington Nationals. The Nationals, who moved from Montreal and have a 162-game regular-season schedule, play their home games at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium. For ticket information, call (202) 675-6287 or go to www.nationals.com.
• Also in the metro area, the Baltimore Orioles play at Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Oriole Park is a stadium designed with the quirks and nuances of an old-time baseball park and all the amenities of a modern park.
For ticket information, call (410) 685-9800.
The drive to the stadium takes less than 90 minutes, and group buses can be arranged. See the team’s Web site at https://orioles.mlb.com.
– The Haymarket Battle Cats, a member of the Valley League, an NCAA-sanctioned college baseball league, began play this summer with a 44-game schedule. Home games are played at Battlefield High School in Haymarket. For more information, call (703) 768-5588.
Football
– The Washington Redskins: The NFL’s Washington Redskins play their home games at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
The Redskins don’t sell tickets for individual games. For information on season tickets, call (301) 276-6000 or visit www.redskins.com.
– Baltimore also has an NFL team, the Ravens. For ticket information, call (410) 481-SEAT or (410) 261-RAVE. You can also go to www.baltimore ravens.com.
– There are two local teams, the minor-league Northern Virginia Sharks and the semi-pro Prince William Monarchs. The Sharks play their home games at Potomac High School. For more information, go to www.nvasharks.com. The Monarchs play their home games at Woodbridge High School. For more information, visit www.prince william monarchs.org.
Basketball
– The Washington Wizards: The NBA’s Washington Wizards play at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. To get Wizards tickets, call (202) 397-SEAT or go to www.nba.com/wizards
– The Washington Mystics: The WNBA’s Washington Mystics play at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. Season or groups of tickets can be obtained by calling (202) 397-SEAT.
Visit www.washingtonmystics.com for more information.
Soccer
– Forest Park High School is the home of two minor league soccer teams, the Northern Virginia Royals (men’s D3 Pro League) and Northern Virginia Majestics (women’s W-League). For information on both teams, visit www.northernvirginia soccer.com.
– D.C. United: The D.C. United of Major League Soccer also play at RFK Stadium. For ticket information, call (202) 587-5000 or go to www.dc united.com.
Hockey
– The Washington Capitals: For NHL action, the Capitals play at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. To buy tickets, call (202) 266-CAPS (2277), or see www.washingtoncaps.com.
Auto racing
If NASCAR stock car racing is your thing, go watch ‘em scrape bumpers at Old Dominion Speedway on Va. 234 just south of Manassas. ODS features drag racing and stock car events every Friday and Saturday night from early April to mid-October.
The Late Model Stock Car class showcases a talented crop of local and state NASCAR stars who race more for the fun than the money on the 3/8-mile oval asphalt track.
Old Dominion also hosts demolition derby events and car shows during the racing season.
For ticket and scheduling information, call (703) 361-RACE (7223) or (703) 361-7753. The track’s new Web site is at www.olddominionspeedway.com
COLLEGE SPORTS
– The Haymarket Battle Cats, a member of the Valley League, an NCAA-sanctioned college baseball league, began play this summer with a 44-game schedule. Home games are played at Battlefield High School in Haymarket. For more information, call (703) 768-5588.
– George Mason University competes on the NCAA Division I level in basketball, baseball, soccer, softball, track and field, volleyball and several other sports.
The Fairfax-based school features the 10,000-seat Patriot Center to house its basketball teams and a 5,000-seat soccer stadium for its men’s and women’s squads.
Call (703) 993-3270 for ticket and schedule information, or visit www.gmusports.com. Check local listings for radio coverage. Comcast SportsNet will provide coverage of selected games as part of a league-wide contract with the Colonial Athletic Association. Check local listings for more information.
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
Football is king of the prep sports in Prince William, with Friday night games consistently drawing large crowds. Basketball, both boys and girls, is generally played Tuesday and Friday nights during the winter months before large crowds as well.
Soccer is another top high school sport in the area. Baseball is a big draw, too. Other sports played on the high school level include cross country, field hockey, golf, girls’ gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track and field, soccer, softball, swimming, volleyball, lacrosse, crew, tennis and wrestling.
Recreation
Tennis
Public tennis courts are located at various parks operated by the Prince William County Park Authority. These include Locust Shade Park in Triangle, Ben Lomond Park and Byrd Park in Manassas, Cloverdale Park and the Dale City Recreation Center in Dale City, Veterans Park and Marumsco Acre Lake Park in Woodbridge and Garrison Park in Dumfries.
Lighted courts are available at the Northern Virginia Community College campuses in Manassas and Woodbridge.
Most high schools and middle schools also have courts open to the public, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Racquetball
Two racquetball facilities are open to the public: the Chinn Aquatics and Fitness Center and the Dale City Recreation Center.
For details, contact the Chinn Center at (703) 730-1051 or visit www.pwc parks.org/chinn. To reach the Dale City Recreation Center, call (703) 670-7115 or visit www.pwc parks.org/dcrc
The Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center in Manassas also features racquetball courts. Call (703) 993-8444 or visit www.freedom-center.com for details.
Golf
Prince William County has a number of golf courses, public, private and semi-private.
The Prince William County Office of Planning maintains an updated list and map of all of the county’s courses. To get a copy of this map, call (703) 792-6830.
Courses open to the public include:
– The Golf Academy at Broad Run is a par-35, nine-hole course. For more information, call (703) 365-2443.
– Bull Run Golf Club is a par-72, 18-hole course in Haymarket. For more information, call (703) 753-7777.
– Forest Greens is a 6,839-yard, par-72 course in Triangle. For more information, call (703) 221-0123.
– General’s Ridge Golf Course in Manassas Park is a 6,651-yard, par-72 course. For more information, call (703) 335-0777.
– Lake Ridge Park Golf Course is a par-27, 9-hole course. For more information, call (703) 494-5564.
– Manassas Hills Golf Course is a par-27, 9-hole course on Davis Ford Road near Manassas. For further information, call (703) 368-2028.
– Old Hickory Golf Club is a 7,190-yard, par-72 course in Woodbridge. For more information, call (703) 580-9000.
– The Ospreys Golf Club is a 4,967-yard, par-66 course on Belmont Bay in Woodbridge. For more information, call (703) 497-1384.
– Prince William Golf Course is located four miles west of U.S. 29 on Vint Hill Road in Nokesville. It is a 6,453-yard, par-70 course. The course also has a driving range, a pro shop offering a variety of equipment and clothing and a snack bar. For further details, call (703) 754-7111.
– The Stonewall Golf Club at Lake Manassas is a 7,002-yard, par-72 course in Gainesville. For more information, call (703) 753-5101.
– Prince William County also has a number of private and semi-private courses: Montclair Country Club in Montclair, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club at Lake Manassas, Evergreen Country Club in Haymarket, Bristow Manor in Nokesville (semi-private), Virginia Oaks in Gainesville (semi-private), Heritage Hunt in Gainesville, Piedmont Golf Club in Gainesville and Dominion Valley and Regency at Dominion Valley in Haymarket.
Fishing
The waters of the Occoquan River, the Occoquan Reservoir, Lake Manassas, Aquia Creek, Aquia Reservoir and the Potomac River are filled with largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, carp and pike.
Fish are also plentiful in the Lunga and Breckenridge reservoirs on the Quantico Marine Corps base, but a base permit is required.
Most types of fishing require a state-issued license, which is available at many sporting goods stores and tackle shops. Licenses can also be purchased online through the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Web site at https://www.vipnet.org/horf.
For more information, call (804) 367-9369 or go to www.vipnet.org/horf.
Hunting
For more information, call (804) 367-1000 or go to www.vipnet.org/horf.
Boating
Boating and water skiing are plentiful in the Occoquan River and Belmont Bay regions.
Canoeing is popular in the Occoquan Reservoir. For information on boating licenses, call (877) 898-2628.
Sports clubs
Prince William County offers more than 75 sports organizations to athletically oriented youth and adults. Activities range from Little League baseball to adult softball to travel soccer.
For more information on sports clubs and activities, call the Prince William County Park Authority at (703) 792-7060 or visit www.pwcparks.org.
Back to Discover Prince William