The Sensational “Cowboy Monkey Rodeo” Will Return On Saturday, May 7th
The Countdown is ON! Baseball fans across the globe prepare for the most exciting week of the year. It is World Series time. Championship baseball will be on the mind of every sports fan in the United States.
For fans of the Lancaster Barnstormers, it is also a perfect time to look forward to the return of baseball to Clipper Magazine Stadium next spring. The Atlantic League has released its official schedule for 2016, the 12th season in Barnstormers’ history.
Lancaster will open the season in Southern Maryland on Thursday, April 21 which will give the local team the opportunity to avenge its recent playoff loss to the Blue Crabs. Opening Day at Clipper Magazine Stadium will take place on Thursday, April 28 versus the defending champion Somerset Patriots.
Recent Opening Day celebrations at Clipper Magazine Stadium have been extraordinary, highlighted by Charlie Manuel’s appearance in 2015 and LeSean McCoy’s bouncing first pitch in 2012. The Barnstormers are actively preparing another spectacular Opening Day for the 2016 season.
In addition to Opening Day, the Barnstormers have circled two big dates on the 2016 Calendar. Saturday, May 7th will mark the return of the Cowboy Monkey Rodeo. Always a crowd favorite, the “Cowboy Monkeys” will be performing before and after the Barnstormers’ game. The Barnstormers will play at Clipper Magazine Stadium on the 4th of July, which means that another Fireworks Extravaganza will be planned after the game. The Barnstormers will have home games on other holidays as well including Mother’s Day, May 8th and Memorial Day, May 30th.
“With such a wonderful second half of the 2015 season fresh in everyone’s minds, it is great to be able to start talking about 2016” said general manager Kristen Simon. “We are locking in the game dates for fireworks and our promotional schedule is already taking shape. Many picnics, party suites and private events have already been reserved for 2016. I encourage all Barnstormers fans looking to hold a special event during a game to contact us right away!”
Lancaster’s final home game will come on Wednesday, September 14 against the arch-rival York Revolution, and the season will close on Sunday, September 18 in Bridgeport. The Atlantic League Playoffs beginning for qualifying teams on the 21st.
The revised format has rebalanced the schedule with the Barnstormers playing each opponent 10 times in each half and 10 times home and away over the course of the schedule. In order to accomplish this restructuring of the schedule, each team will be making three trips to Sugar Land, Texas over the course of the season. For the past four years, most teams have made two trips, including one for six or seven games.
Following the three games played on North Prince Street in April, there will be 16 games at Clipper Magazine Stadium in May, 16 in June, 13 in July, 12 in August and 10 in September.
The New Britain Bees in New Britain, CT will replace the Camden Riversharks on the league slate in 2016.
The Lancaster Barnstormers are entering their twelfth season as a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Home games are played at Clipper Magazine Stadium in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Please call 717.509.HITS (4487) or visit LancasterBarnstormers.com for more information.
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball:
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs, Inc. is the highest level of professional baseball, other than the Major Leagues. Atlantic League players are experienced professionals, having progressed through the development levels (Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A) and are all “Major League Ready,” with approximately 40% of Atlantic League players having Major League service time. Since the League’s inception in 1998, nearly 30 million fans have attended an Atlantic League game in one of the League’s state of the art ballparks. The Atlantic League continues to be the only professional baseball league in an active expansion mode, as cities look to join the existing teams in the major metropolitan markets of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and Houston.
Printable Schedule Here:Lancaster Barnstormers 2016 Game Schedule
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
John Brennan
Public Relations
717 509-2033 (717) 358-9562
Jbrennan@lancasterbarnstormers.com