The Newport baseball program will honor a major piece of its past this weekend when the baseball field is renamed for longtime coach Bob Albo.

The renaming marks the first official dedication in an individual’s honor at a Bellevue School District sports facility.

“The guys behind it did a great job,” Newport athletic director Gil James said, adding that a group of around five former players spearheaded the effort and pulled others on board. A large contingent of former players is expected for the Knights’ game against Bellevue and other activities throughout the day in Albo’s honor.

The field will feature a new scoreboard that bears Albo’s name, according to James.

“It’s cool that those guys who played for him were so passionate about getting this done,” James said. “They were a great group to work with and I could see through this how much coach Albo meant to them.”

Albo was a teacher for more than 30 years, including 26 in Bellevue, according to the Bellevue School District website. He coached at Newport from 1972-83 and again from 1992-96, leading the program to a 322-108 record, six conference titles and three state titles. He put more than a dozen players into the MLB Draft.

The dedication will begin at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 24 at Newport High School and is open to the public.