Waldorf, MD – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have announced their theme for the 2016 Opening Day Festivities, Homegrown Opening Night. This will be the ninth season for the professional baseball club located in Waldorf, MD. As a salute to Southern Maryland’s agricultural traditions, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs will host a farm theme opening night on April 21 at 7:05 p.m. against the Lancaster Barnstormers presented by Wawa.
Fans can expect a plethora of agricultural-themed promotions, including the introduction of the entire Blue Crabs roster as players are brought onto the field in hayrides. Fans will also have the chance to win agricultural inspired giveaways throughout the night to celebrate the start of a new baseball season.
“Being from Southern Maryland, I have always loved the agricultural community in the local area,” said Blue Crabs General Manager Courtney Knichel. “This night gives us a unique opportunity to honor the roots of Southern Maryland, while also allowing us to honor our home-grown manager Jeremey Owens.”
On the field, the Blue Crabs will honor newly appointed Blue Crabs “home-grown” Manager Jeremy Owens. Owens began his stint with the Blue Crabs as an outfielder in 2008, and was promoted to the Blue Crabs’ first ever player/coach in 2010. Owens continued his playing career until 2014 and continued coaching through the 2015 season. On December 15, 2015, Jeremy Owens was promoted to manager of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, the only original Blue Crab player still involved with the organization. In addition to manager Jeremy Owens, the Blue Crabs will honor current Lancaster manager Butch Hobson, who was the Blue Crabs first manager in history.
“Jeremy has been such an integral part of the Blue Crabs since 2008, and I think it is only appropriate to honor him as we forge into our ninth season,” Knichel continued. “Honoring our local community and our team community, it just seemed like the perfect fit.”
To celebrate the evening, the Blue Crabs will have a petting zoo and pony rides, courtesy of Mary’s Go Round, before the game. The concourse will also be filled with tables about agriculture and other “home-grown” businesses in the Southern Maryland community. In addition to petting zoos and pony rides, the first 1,000 fans that walk through the gates will receive 2016 magnet schedules, presented by Community Bank of the Chesapeake.
Back by popular demand for the 2016 season, the Blue Crabs will commence a fireworks extravaganza presented by Wawa following the conclusion of the top of the seventh inning. The team has once again made this decision specifically to ensure that the team’s youngest fans are able to stay awake until the fireworks show after they have expended their energy in the kid’s zone and around the ballpark.
