Salisbury, Md. –
The Delmarva Shorebirds, class "A" affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles,
are excited to announce that the annual exhibition game between the
Shorebirds and the Salisbury University Sea Gulls will take place on
Tuesday, April 3 at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. The exhibition game is scheduled for seven innings.
The
inaugural exhibition between the two local teams took place in 2010
when the Shorebirds beat the Sea Gulls 9-6 in front of 3,573 fans. Last
season, the Shorebirds won the second meeting, 6-2.
"The
exhibition game is always fun for the community and it gives us a great
opportunity to open our doors before the official season begins," said
Shorebirds general manager Chris Bitters. "We hope the game continues to grow into a marquee event in this area."
The Delmarva Shorebirds will open the curtain on their 17th season on the Eastern Shore and 16th as an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles on April 5.
The Shorebirds have won 1,108 games since 1996 and two South Atlantic
League Championships in 1997 and 2000. Over the years, 72 former
Shorebirds have made the major leagues including: Nick Markakis, Brian
Roberts, Javier Vasquez and Ryan Minor. The Shorebirds will begin the
2011 season on the road in Asheville, N.C. on April 5 before returning to Arthur W. Perdue Stadium for the home opener on April 12 against the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
Salisbury
University baseball has distinguished itself as a perennial powerhouse
at the Division III level. The Sea Gulls have reached the NCAA
Tournament 17 times in program history including 12 consecutive seasons
(2000-present). In addition, the program has totaled 9 CAC
Championships and three trips to the DIII College World Series.
"The
exhibition has been a great experience for our student-athletes, the
university and our students ," said Salisbury head coach Doug Fleetwood.
"Every young baseball player looks forward to the opportunity to play
in a professional environment and that's what we get at Arthur W. Perdue
Stadium."
Individual
tickets for the exhibition game will go on sale in conjunction with
general Shorebirds' tickets going on sale. They will be available for
purchase at the Shorebirds Box Office and on campus at Salisbury
University. In addition, all Shorebirds plan holders (full season, half
season, 22-game & 12-game) will get a ticket to the exhibition game
included in their plan.
The exhibition game will be broadcast on the Shorebirds Radio Network with play-by-play broadcaster Bret Lasky on the call.
For more information, contact the Shorebirds at 410-219-3112.
