For the past several years, Sprayberry’s baseball team has been playing on a field named after one of its most successful coaches.

Terry Cadenhead was a teacher at Sprayberry for 29 years and helmed the Yellow Jackets’ baseball team for 27. He posted a 577-305 record from 1972-2005 — including a state championship in 1995 — and became the winningest coach in Sprayberry baseball history.

So, after several seasons of playing at the unofficial Cadenhead Field, Sprayberry’s administration decided to make it official and will name the baseball stadium after Cadenhead on Tuesday, prior to the start of the Yellow Jackets’ season opener against east Cobb rival Walton.

Cadenhead, who moved to his native Florida after leaving Sprayberry, will be present to throw out the first pitch.

“Coach (Cadenhead) has such a long and storied history at Sprayberry that putting his name on the field was an easy decision,” said Sprayberry’s current coach, Phil Henderson. “I mean, his longevity was just incredible. He was here for 30 years. He’s a Georgia Hall of Fame coach, and I think he brought respect and tradition to Sprayberry baseball. This needed to be done.”

Cadenhead was named the state’s coach of the year four times by the Georgia Athletic Coaches’ Association, and he was a six-time Marietta Daily Journal Coach of the Year. He won four region championships and guided the Yellow Jackets to state runner-up finishes in 1993 and ’98.

Though Sprayberry has long called Cadenhead Field its home, there were no signs or markings signifying the name. When the school decided to install a new scoreboard for this season, Henderson and the Sprayberry administration thought it would be a good time to add Cadenhead’s name and officially dedicate the field in his honor.

Framing the top of the new scoreboard is “Cadenhead Field,” with “Home of the Yellow Jackets” below.

“With the new scoreboard, we thought this would be the right time,” Henderson said. “What he’s meant to the program — I think he deserves to be up there. That’s why I wanted it prominently displayed.”

Cadenhead coached several players who went on to have professional careers — including David Webb, Greg Brown, Mike Hostetler, Andy Bruce, Johnny Mitchell, Kris Benson, Seth Lafera, Marlon Byrd, Brannon Whatley, Rick Elder and Jeff Kindel — and past alumni will be on for Tuesday’s pre-game ceremony

“Lots of people have inquired about the ceremony, but I don’t know who’s coming,” Henderson said. “As long as the weather cooperates, I think it will be a good night.”