17th season of Ducks baseball begins April 21; Home opener April 28
(Central Islip, N.Y., Oct. 27, 2015) – The three-time Atlantic League champion Long Island Ducks today announced the dates and start times for the 2016 regular season. The Ducks will host their 17th season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and look to earn their 11th postseason berth in a span of 13 years. The 2016 schedule boasts home games on 11 weekends (Friday – Sunday) during the course of the season.
“2015 was a memorable season both on and off the field for our organization,” said Ducks President/GM Michael Pfaff. “We look forward to creating more special moments in our quest to bring the Atlantic League championship back to Long Island in 2016.”
The 2016 season will feature a 140-game schedule that begins on April 21 when the Ducks open the year on the road. The seven-game trip will see the Ducks play four games against the Liberty Division rival and defending Atlantic League champion Somerset Patriots, whom the Ducks faced in the first round of the 2015 playoffs. That will be followed by three games against the league’s newest team in New Britain, Connecticut. Long Island then returns home for the 2016 home opener on Thursday, April 28 against the defending Freedom Division champion Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at 6:35 p.m.
The Ducks will host a pair of day/night doubleheaders at the Duck Pond, with the first occurring on Saturday, May 28 against New Britain and the second taking place on Saturday, June 18 against the Lancaster Barnstormers. In addition, the Ducks will host a camp day for the fourth consecutive season on Tuesday, July 26, with first pitch slated for 11:05 a.m. On Independence Day weekend (July 1-3), the Ducks will host fireworks extravaganzas for all three games against the Skeeters, including a special first pitch time of 6:35 p.m. for the series finale on Sunday. Long Island will also play at a special time of 1:35 p.m. on Labor Day, Monday, September 5, against the cross-sound rival Bridgeport Bluefish.
Both halves of the season will be 70 games long, with the first half ending on Sunday, July 3 against Sugar Land and the season concluding on Sunday, September 18 at York. The 19th Annual Atlantic League All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, July 13. This year’s slate features a balanced schedule where the Ducks face every league opponent 20 times. Those meetings will be evenly split between home and road games as well as in the first and second half.
Game times at Bethpage Ballpark will remain the same as they were in 2015. All Monday through Saturday games, unless otherwise noted, will begin at 6:35 p.m. Start times for Sunday contests will be 1:35 p.m. in May, June and September and 5:05 p.m. in July and August. While the 2016 promotional schedule will be released in March prior to the Opening Day of individual ticket sales, fans wishing to become season ticket holders may do so NOW by calling (631) 940-3825 or emailing [email protected].
To view a printable 2016 Ducks schedule, please CLICK HERE.
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