BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech baseball team will honor local police officers, firefighters and rescue personnel when it plays host to No. 1 North Carolina this Saturday at 2 p.m.

It’s ‘First Responders Day’ at English Field, and all local service workers are invited to come out to the ballpark to help cheer on the Hokies against the top team in the nation.

“We want to pay tribute to all of the first responders – all of the firemen, police, EMTs and volunteers,” head baseball coach Pete Hughes said. “They’ve been so valuable over the last two years to Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg community. A lot of these people have other jobs, but they volunteer their time for our safety. It’s important that we take time to show our appreciation.”

A representative from local police and firefighting crews will throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game, and all those in attendance who serve the community will be recognized. ‘God Bless America’ will be played during the seventh-inning stretch, and the Hokies will be unveiling special camouflage jerseys that will be also be worn on April 4 for ‘Military Day’ against Wake Forest.

The money to pay for the special camo jerseys, as well as throwback jerseys that will be worn for ‘Disco Night’ on March 21 and ‘80s Night’ on April 18, was raised by the Richmond Hokie Club.

“The Richmond Hokie Club made it happen,” Hughes said. “They thought it was an important cause to be a part of and they funded our uniforms to commemorate both ‘First Responders Day’ and ‘Military Day.’”

Finally, Farm Bureau Insurance will sponsor a canned food drive at the front gate of English Field, and the first 200 fans to the ballpark will receive a free VT thermal mug.

Admission to English Field is free.