CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Friday night is opening night for the Charleston Dirty Birds.
The Atlantic League member will open the home season against the Southern Maryland Bluecrabs beginning at 6:35 p.m.
This marks the 20th season for professional baseball at GoMart Ballpark.
Dirty Birds owner Andy Shea believes the relationship between the team and the fans in the Capital City has become a great bond.
“When we played those playoff games in Gastonia (last year), those might as well have been in the Dirty Birds ballpark. When went to York, we had an entire section you could hear from everywhere in the stadium. I think our community is just as, if not more passionate than everyone when it comes to baseball and supporting their team,” Shea said Friday on 580-Live on WCHS Radio.
There’s excitement after last year’s championship run for the Dirty Birds which saw 10 players sign with a pro team before the end of the season. The new team is rebuilt and ready to go.
“You definitely want to build off last year,” Manger PJ Phillips said.
Off the field, the fan experience has also been enhanced with new entertainment activities between innings, and new menu items at the concession stand. Shea and Marketing Manager Jill Gearin said it’s a non-stop job to try and enhance the fan experience.
“As soon as the season ends up until right now, we’re working on making this a really fun experience with the fans,” said Gearin.
“The energy, the excitement, the opportunity. Everything coming together for opening day. The stadium looks better than ever, this team is going to be absolutely terrific, and I can’t say it enough, but the energy is amazing around the entire ballpark,” Shea said.