The home field of the Keydet baseball team is now known as Lamore Field in honor of Mike Lamore ’85 and his wife, Susan, whose support made a full-scale renovation of the field possible. The field was dedicated April 20, 2024.
On a sunny and breezy Saturday, April 20, 2024, members of the VMI family gathered at Gray-Minor Stadium before the second game of a three-game series against The Citadel to celebrate the generosity of a former baseball player turned successful entrepreneur and rename the field in his honor. The longtime home field of the Keydet baseball team is now known as Lamore Field in honor of Mike Lamore ’85 and his wife, Susan, whose support made a full-scale renovation of the field possible.
Last year, the field was stripped completely bare and recovered with AstroTurf, thus eliminating many weather-related challenges to play. In addition, a new stormwater drainage system was installed, the bullpens were revamped, and dugouts were extended, readying the field for decades of play to come.
Lamore, a civil engineering major who wore academic stars, went on to found Barrier1 Systems Inc., a company producing vehicle barriers and perimeter security to protect against terrorist attacks and security breaches. In that time, he was granted seven patents and expanded his company not only across the United States but also to 11 foreign countries.
Now a resident of Greensboro, North Carolina, Lamore still holds multiple Keydet baseball records, among them ranking second all-time with a .518 on-base percentage in a single season, third all-time in on-base percentage, and fourth all-time in batting with an average of .350. In addition, he was named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year in 1982 and an Academic All-American in 1984.
To open play at the newly renamed field, Lamore took the opportunity to see the field from the vantage point of the position he played as a Keydet—catcher—as his wife threw out the first pitch of the game. To the delight of onlookers, Lamore caught the ball easily.
Joining the Lamores for the dedication ceremony and game were not only a number of family members but also Norbie Wilson, Lamore’s baseball coach at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia; Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent; and Jim Miller, VMI director of intercollegiate athletics.
Following the dedication ceremony, the Keydets scored a decisive 10-2 victory over the visiting Bulldogs, marking their fifth SoCon win of the season. In only the game’s first inning, Cadet Justin Starke ’23 etched his name in the record books as VMI’s all-time leader in runs scored.
“Opportunities like today reinforce how important and impactful philanthropy can be,” said Andrew C. Deal ’12, Keydet Club chief operating officer and Alumni Agencies chief development officer. “To be able to recognize Mike and Susan and demonstrate our thankfulness for their generosity on a beautiful day amongst friends and family was really special. On top of it all, we beat The Citadel, which is always a good thing!”
The development writer plays a key role in producing advancement communications. This role imagines, creates, and produces a variety of written communication to inspire donors to make gifts benefiting VMI. Utilizing journalistic features and storytelling, the development writer will produce content for areas such as Annual Giving, stewardship, and gift planning.
