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How Vanderbilt baseball will honor Lee Ann Hawkins, wife of Hawkins Field namesake

Vanderbilt baseball will hold a moment of silence for Lee Ann Hawkins before Tuesday's game against North Alabama.

Hawkins, who died April 1 at 88, was a longtime Vanderbilt baseball fan and the wife of former Commodores football and baseball player Charles Hawkins, the namesake for Hawkins Field. Charles Hawkins died in 2004.

Lee Ann frequently traveled to see the baseball team play, including in Omaha for the College World Series. The family maintained a close relationship with coach Tim Corbin and the program.

“Lee Ann Hawkins was the ultimate life force,” Corbin said in a statement to The Tennessean. “She impacted everyone that she came in contact with. The environment was so much better when she was in the middle of it. She was a true coach's daughter − tough, funny, passionate, caring, inclusive and creative.

“Lee Ann and Charlie were models of what a healthy, supportive, respectful and caring partnership should look like. She cared so deeply for our players, all of our teams and just loved our program. I wished she played for me, but I feel like she did. We loved her very much and will miss her.”

No. 4 Vanderbilt (26-6, 11-1 SEC) faces North Alabama (6-24, 0-12) at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on SEC Network+.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt baseball to hold moment of silence for Lee Ann Hawkins