By Connor Wachtel

Mankato, Minn. – Glen Perkins will be in the house on Tuesday night as the MoonDogs Opening Day guest. Perkins will throw out the honorary first pitch and get the 18th season of MoonDogs baseball underway. The Home Opener, presented by Wealth Enhancement and the Boys and Girls Club of Mankato on May 28th, is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Franklin Rogers Park against the Willmar Stingers.

Perkins, a native of St. Paul, Minn., pitched at Stillwater Area High School and followed it up by attending the University of Minnesota where he played college ball in 2003 and 2004. He was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year as a part of the Golden Gophers in 2004.

Perkins’ pro career began when he was drafted 22nd overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his major league debut with the Twins Sept. 21, 2006, where he went on to pitch for the organization for 12 seasons.

Perkins started 44 games before becoming a full-time reliever in 2011. In that campaign his career took off, he pitched in 65 games going 4-4 with a 2.48 ERA. Following a lackluster season in 2010, Perkins had to be named the Twins Pitcher of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts that season.

Over the span of his 409-game career, he struck out 504 batters in 624.1 innings pitched and notched a 3.88 ERA. He finished his career with a 35-25 record.

He was a three-time all-star from 2013-2015. In the 2014 All-Star Game at Target Field, Perkins was credited with the save

Perkins, suffering from lingering injuries, announced his retirement Jan. 23, 2018. He now serves as a pre and post-game analyst with Fox Sports North for the Minnesota Twins.

With a passion for beer, he now is taking a stab at being a home brewer, a hobby he began after his 2014 season. He resides with his wife, Alisha, and their three daughters.

Gates open at 6:05 p.m., the game will be followed up by fireworks. The Home Opener is presented by Wealth Enhancement and the Boys and Girls Club of Mankato. To purchase your tickets, call the MoonDogs office at 507-625-7047 or visit mankatomoondogs.com.

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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 25-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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,  225 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG), World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS) and MLB All-Stars Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the MoonDogs as your favorite team.