LOVES PARK, Ill. – The Rockford Rivets’ second season will open right after Memorial Day, with the home opener set for June 1.
The Rivets announced their 2017 Northwoods League schedule on Wednesday. The league which produced this year’s National League Cy Young Award winner, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals, and World Series Most Valuable Player, Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs, plays a 72-game season from late May through mid-August.
The Rivets’ season begins with a pair of 6:05 p.m. CDT games on May 30-31 at Kalamazoo.
The 36-game home schedule starts with a four-game homestand at the beginning of June. The Rivets host the Wisconsin Woodchucks June 1-2 and the Battle Creek Bombers June 3-4.
Standard start times for home games are 6:35 p.m. on weeknights and Saturdays and 4:05 p.m. on Sundays.
The fan-friendly schedule begins after the end of the school year for most Stateline districts and ends before kids are due back in class. It includes 13 total Friday and Saturday dates.
“Last season we averaged over 1,100 fans on those nights, with our four game pack combined with fireworks and other promotions, we think that number will increase dramatically this season,” Rivets general manager Chad Bauer said.
The Rivets are offering a $50 four-game pack. It includes a replica Rivets jersey, tickets to four select games, all-you-can-eat food (burgers, brats, hot dogs, grilled chicken, popcorn and fountain soda). Tickets are for the following dates and include a ticket exchange policy: Friday, June 2; Saturday, June 24; Friday, July 14; Friday, July 28. The four-pack can be purchased only by calling the Rivets at 815.240.4159 or in person at the Rivets Stadium box office. There are a limited number of jerseys available, so don’t wait to order this four-pack.
Last season, the Rivets were 33-39 overall in the split-season format and missed a playoff spot by two games. Harlem High School graduate Drake Robison (Iowa) earned a team-high seven wins. Ryan Long and Hunter Hargrove represented Texas Tech in the College World Series.
The Rockford Rivets are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League, which will play its 24th season of summer collegiate baseball in 2017. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, 160 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals), two-time World Champion Ben Zobrist (Chicago Cubs) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (Chicago White Sox), Jordan Zimmermann (Detroit Tigers), Curtis Granderson (New York Mets) and Lucas Duda (Mets). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website, NorthwoodsLeague.com.
