Standing along what will become the first-base line, Ben Rothrock studies the emerging minor league baseball ballpark with the steady pride of someone who has spent years pushing this project from concept to reality.

“It’s funny,” said the 45-year-old Rothrock, watching workers maneuver equipment across the infield of the Double-A Eastern League stadium. “On this journey, 16 years here now in Richmond as Flying Squirrels… highs and lows… finally the end is in sight. Just an amazing feeling and process in the grand scheme of things.”

For the Lewistown native who once told his boss he wanted to run his own team, the near-completion of CarMax Park isn’t just a construction milestone. It’s the fulfillment of a promise made when the Flying Squirrels arrived in Richmond in 2010 — that one day, this franchise would have a home worthy of its fan base and its ambitions.

It’s also the culmination of a personal journey that began in a small Pennsylvania town and wound its way through the minor league ranks, fueled by persistence, loyalty and a belief in what baseball can mean to a community.

Ben Rothrock

“This is the premier franchise in minor league baseball,” Rothrock explained. “We want to be the best in minor league baseball… we put our finger on every inch to make it one of the best ballparks in minor league baseball.”

The stadium is still months from opening, but for Rothrock, the vision is already alive. He can see the crowds, hear the music, feel the energy. He’s been imagining this moment for years — long before the first shovel hit the ground, long before he stepped into the role of chief operating officer and general manager, long before Richmond embraced the Flying Squirrels as its own.

And long before he ever left Lewistown.

A promise made in Altoona

Long before he was overseeing a multimillion-dollar stadium project, Rothrock was a young staffer in the Altoona Curve front office, learning the rhythms of minor league baseball under general manager Todd “Parney” Parnell. Parnell had a habit of calling employees into his office to talk about their futures — a mix of mentorship, curiosity and a test of ambition.

“Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years? Is this a long-term thing for you?” Parnell asked him.

Rothrock didn’t hesitate.

“I can see myself sitting exactly where you’re sitting,” he told him.

It wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t a throwaway line. It was a declaration — and a roadmap.

“I got into it with the intent of running my own team one day,” he said now. “I love the business.”

He meant it. And he backed it up with work.

Rothrock took on every role he could — ticketing, operations, promotions, retail. He learned the grind of long homestands, the art of fan engagement, and the importance of community connection. He learned how to build something from the ground up.

And he learned that sometimes, the biggest opportunities come disguised as relocations.

Richmond’s adopted son

When the Flying Squirrels moved from Norwich, Conn., to Richmond for the 2010 season, Rothrock joined them from Altoona. The Diamond — a concrete stadium built in 1985 — was already outdated, but the promise of a new ballpark hung in the air like a fresh start.

“When we arrived in Richmond, that was always the promise,” Rothrock said. “One of the reasons I came to Richmond… to bring the franchise to life.”

A franchise on the rise

By the early 2020s, the Flying Squirrels had become one of the most successful franchises in minor league baseball. Three of the past four seasons, they’ve led all Double-A clubs in total and average attendance for the first time in franchise history. Last season, they averaged 6,617 fans per game — a remarkable feat for a team playing in a 40-year-old stadium.

“To have the following that we’ve had for so many years… attendance has increased since COVID,” Rothrock said. “The past several years, we have gone out on an upswing, riding momentum into CarMax Park.”

Designing a dream

When the stadium project finally moved forward, Rothrock dove in with the intensity of someone who had been preparing for this moment for half his career.

“A lot of research, hands-on experience, going to different ballparks, looking at different parts,” he said. “We took design elements from different ballparks.”

The grind behind the glory

Rothrock doesn’t romanticize the job. Minor league baseball is a lifestyle — long nights, summer holidays spent at the ballpark, constant events, constant planning.

“It’s a grind,” he said. “It definitely comes with a cost — working holidays, summer, late summer evenings, living away from family.”

The small-town kid who dreamed big

In the end, Rothrock’s story is not just about baseball. It’s about ambition, loyalty and the belief that small-town roots can fuel big-city dreams. He left Lewistown with a sense of purpose, built a career through persistence and long nights, and helped shape a franchise that has become one of the most admired in minor league baseball.

“Blessed to still be doing this after so many years,” Rothrock said. “Opening a new stadium — incredible in Richmond.”

For Rothrock, CarMax Park isn’t just a building. It’s a symbol of everything he’s poured into the game — the long seasons, the family sacrifices, the belief that baseball can bring a community together. It’s the kind of project that defines a career, but also the kind that reminds him why he fell in love with the work in the first place.

And as the Flying Squirrels prepare to open the doors to their new home, Rothrock is standing exactly where he hoped he’d be all those years ago — leading a team, shaping a franchise and helping a city dream a little bigger.