travel baseball teams pittsburgh pa

Beaver Valley Baseball

Additional information, 2023 - 2024 player development.

Baseball Season is finally here. Here is the winter program for the 15U - 17U program

Beaver Valley Baseball uses many indoor and outdoor facilities

2023-2024 Tuition Payments

For more information on how to make your 2024 tuition payments.

Our Mission

Beaver Valley Baseball Club, founded in 1996, has been one of the most respected baseball programs in the country for the past 25 years. In our years of existence, we have competed on the highest level of travel baseball. We mix the top local travel experiences with the most competitive travel tournaments in the northeast and mid Atlantic regions. In our illustrious existence, we have won the coveted Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament a national record 12 times, and have several other National Championships under our belt, including the Nations top event, the USSSA Elite World Series in Disney. In 2019, our organization finished in the winner’s circle in over 100 different events, by far the most of any other local program!! Our history proves that we are the premier baseball program in the Pittsburgh area, and one of the top baseball programs in the country.

The program has an extensive winter training program that focuses on all aspects of baseball. From individual skill level to team skills, our BV BASEBALL players get the whole gauntlet of travel baseball. We prepare our players for the upcoming season, and beyond. All of our practices are fast paced, and set up for our players to handle the baseball in a large series of reps!! We watch our arms closely and stress the importance of building arms up — our players do not even step on the mound until Mid February, a month after we start our winter training.

When our winter program is complete, we turn our attention to the spring/summer tournament and game season. We are not a program that “trophy chases”, we are a program that seeks out the best competition we can find. Before you judge how good a team or player is, you better judge the competition they are playing. Our players are consistently being challenged on the highest level of the game, they log many games against the best teams in PA and surrounding states. This brings out the best in our athletes and allows them to grow as a player. We fear no competition!!

A BV BASEBALL player is expected to be tough, competitive, a hard worker, a great student, a great kid, aggressive, fearless, respectful, coachable, professional, always ready for a challenge, and courageous. The BV BASEBALL CLUB is in the business of teaching young men the great game of baseball, and making them respectful people at the same time. We expect to win games, but when we lose, we do not make excuses or point fingers, we tip our cap to our opponent and get ready for the next challenge. In short, a BV BASEBALL player is a Champion in a lot of ways!!! If you think your son has what it takes to be a BV BASEBALL player, please send me an email through our “REQUEST A TRYOUT” link on our homepage.

Thanks for reading,

Brian Smith BV BASEBALL CLUB PRESIDENT

Beaver Valley Coaches

Brian smith.

12U Red & 13U Red Coach

Patrick Cutshall

17u red coach, 10u & 11u red coach, mike lucarelli, 8u & 9u red coach, chris coennen, 9u white & 12u black coach, todd weischedel, 10u white & 13u black coach, want to be part of the tradition, beaver valley news, beaver valley new & upcoming events, homepage images, 2024 winter practice schedules.

2024 Winter Practice Schedules Please view the video link below to answer any questions regarding the winter practice schedule.     2023 Winter Addresses BV 8s Winter BV 9s Winter BV 10s Winter BV 11s Read more…

Important Information

Jj wetherholt – mlb draft.

The Major League Baseball Draft Lottery is complete, and the Cleveland Guardians are on the clock. Cleveland’s projected selection, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft: West Virginia’s JJ Wetherholt. The Read more…

2024 Tournament Schedules

                2024 Tournament Schedules BV 8s RED 2024 Summer BV 8s BLACK 2024 Summer BV 8s WHITE 2024 Summer BV 9s RED 2024 Summer BV 9s BLACK 2024 Read more…

Apparel Store & Uniform Fitting

Hello,  I wanted to send you all an email with our uniform information. This email will guide you through what you need to order from the BV Uniform Link. NOTE: The link to order your BV Read more…

Austin Ross Instruction

Austin Ross is currently offering lessons before he heads back out to pursue his professional career. Click link below for more information. AUSTIN ROSS

Beaver Valley wins Cooperstown for the 14th Time

The Beaver Valley Red won the Cooperstown Dreams Park for the 14th time.

Get in Touch

Contact us at:.

Beaver Valley Baseball... PO Box 248... Beaver, PA 15009

Give us a ring

Brian Smith 724-504-6456

WELCOME TO HARDCORE ELITE BASEBALL.

HARDCORE ELITE BASEBALL

Hardcore Elite Baseball is the premier travel baseball program in the Pittsburgh area, and one of the best travel programs in the country.

We offer teams from 9U-17U. Our training staff consists of over 120 years of Professional Baseball Experience. We also feature numerous excellent college and high school coaches. Our turf practice fields at No Offseason Sports , our 27,000 sq. ft indoor turf practice facility for our Winter Workouts, and our NOS Hitting Barn are amongst the best facilities in Pennsylvania. 

Hardcore Elite Baseball is a high level Player Development Program. Our goal is to help every player become the very best player that they can become physically, mentally, and fundamentally. Our ten week Winter Training Program is one of the best player development programs in the country. We focus on helping every player get ready for their upcoming spring season, as well as learn and improve from our advanced teaching, coaching, and instruction. Hardcore Elite Baseball also offers private instruction, state of the art technology, and college recruiting assistance. In addition to the best hitting program in Western Pennsylvania, Hardcore Elite is the most well rounded program in the Pittsburgh area. 

Our 9U-13U teams will play a minimum of eight tournaments.

Our 14U-17U teams will have paid coaches and will play a minimum of six tournaments. 

During the season, each team will practice two times per week on the turf game fields. 

To be the best you need to practice with the best, be coached by the best, and play with the best. Hardcore Elite Baseball offers you this opportunity.

SUCCESS STORIES

"i've been involved and associated with travel baseball and youth sports for over 4o years. hardcore elite is the best baseball program in the pittsburgh area, they have the best instructors in the pittsburgh area, and they are the most professional organization i have ever experienced.".

June 10,2022

"Hardcore Elite has the best training and practice facilities in Western PA, and they have the best instructional staff I have ever been associated with. Both of my sons have had an incredible experience playing for Hardcore Elite Baseball."

Alex Anderson

July 2, 2022

"If you want your son to reach his full potential as a baseball player, have him play for Hardcore Elite Baseball. The Winter Workouts are incredible, they have the best hitting program in the country, and it's a first class organization with great leadership and excellent instruction."

Ray Searage

July 10, 2022

GET IN TOUCH

[email protected] ​, hardcore elite baseball, po box 2406, cranberry twp pa 16066 ​.

Breaking News!

 our player development outline.

We take an analytical approach to player development.  Our staff is continually researching, studying and talking to leaders in the field of advanced data collection with respect to hitting and pitching development.  With this continued learning, we also continue to invest in the latest technology to gather performance data to give our players clear and precise direction with respect to their individual training.  Lots of programs talk about player development being the ultimate focus. We have always preached this as well.  We however,  join forward thinking MLB and College Teams that have adopted Data Driven Development Programs for their players.  The data is used to develop plans for each individual player.  These plans are a combination of what we have been teaching for years, plus some new development and mechanics ideas that have been refined with the advent of the measurable metrics that are guiding todays elite players.  Below is a list of the tech we will be utilizing to aid in the development of our athletes

We will continue to educate ourselves to make sure we are on the cutting edge and are able to assist our players in the development and acquisition of elite baseball skills. 

We are an travel baseball program. We have teams from 8U up through 17U. Our program is about taking dedicated athletes and teaching them the game of baseball. We pride ourselves on what we teach and how we teach it. The heart and soul of our program is our winter training. Each player will not only have over 31 hours of indoor winter team training, but will also have 5 hours of individual one on one lessons with Outlaws/C-Side's training staff. Our winter training starts in December and runs through the end of March.

Our indoor training is held at Chris Sidick’s  C-Side Sports  Training Facility located in North Strabane Township. C-Side is a 27,000 sq ft Baseball Taining Facility located near Canonsburg, PA. This facility is the most state of the art facility in the area. 

What we teach

The practice program is designed to start with basic mechanics and through repetitive drills, build on the foundation each week.  Practices are designed to be energetic and fast paced.  We work from the ground up with all of our teams no matter what age group. . We will start with the most basic of skills and progress through more advanced throughout the winter workouts. 

We have also adopted an analytical approach to what and how we teach as highlighted in the article above. We are using the same tools and the same methods as many major college and professional teams.     

Where we go

We base each teams tournament schedule on what we think will both be challenging and rewarding depending on the talent level of the team. We will not load the schedule up with easy tournaments just to win trophies. There are many good tournaments local to the Pittsburgh area and in Eastern, Ohio. We also go places such as Cal Ripkens facility in Aberdeen, Marlayland, Sports at the Beach in Rehoboth, Delaware, and our 12U Teams go to Cooperstown Dreams Parks. Most of the other tournaments the we attend are typically no more than a 4 hour drive from Pittsburgh.

As stated above, the main goal of our program is for each player to develop advanced baseball skills

Our Program Includes

• Winter Practice
• Tournaments
• Fundraising
• Cpooperstown Dreams Park
• Practice Facility
• Outdoor Fields

How to view your Team Page

For questions regarding our program please contact one of the following, ron wuenstel.

President & Director of Player Development

Phone: 412-398-0147

Vice President & General Manager

Phone: 7245544384

Social Media

Swingtracker emails.

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10 MLB DRAFTS, 500+ NCAA, Pro level Player Development

Welcome to the pittsburgh spikes..

Travel ball has become a buzzword-filled industry with plenty of promises of data, tech, player development, and exposure, but what really matters is playing the game and connecting the dots between all these elements. Educated coaches with a growth mindset are essential to your child's future in baseball. Player development is not about over-coaching mechanics or providing eyewash instruction that may actually harm your son's future prospects. It's about respecting the game and helping young players grow and learn while avoiding long-term damage to their skills and health.

The Pittsburgh Spikes, led by President Chase Rowe (B.S. Sport Coaching), invite you to join our baseball family. We recognize that the youth baseball culture can be obsessed with winning at all costs, with many so-called "elite programs" competing for kids and parents' money without providing positive learning experiences or helping with long-term skill development and health. Our coaching staff includes experienced educators with bachelor's degrees in Sport Coaching, as well as certifications in player development tools and technologies such as 4D Motion, Kvest, TPI, OnbaseU, Rapsodo Hitting/Pitching, Bertec, and Driveline Youth Certifications. We also have a strong focus on helping parents mold their sons into young men.

Our common sense approach not only saves you money, but also helps prepare your son for college baseball and beyond. Our near 100% college placement rate speaks to our success in achieving this goal. Our mission is clear: we care about the END game, where your son's game is at when his high school career is ending. We don't care about plastic trophies or playing 100 games a year. We care about ensuring that your son is ready to play the game at the highest level his abilities allow, and that he has the long-term development and exposure to achieve his goals.

Boasting about plastic trophies and playing 100 games a year does not make you elite. In fact, coaches in the college and professional ranks will tell you that the requirements to be a good little leaguer are not even close to the same requirements to make you a good player in high school and beyond. More practice is useless if it creates career-ending bad habits. The gap between college/pro level instruction and travel ball instruction is significant enough to waste years of your investments into baseball and potentially end your son's career short of his goals.

At the Pittsburgh Spikes, our philosophy is all about long-term player development and exposure, which go hand in hand. The best players need to be prepared at a young age for the requirements the game presents at the highest levels of play. Our staff has the best practice structure, application of data/technology, and coach to player ratio in the region to help achieve this goal.

Pittsburgh Spikes

Phone: 7246794461

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Welcome To Baseball U PA

Welcome to NEPA's leading travel baseball program for ages 8-18U! Our organization is known locally and nationally. We offer competitive travel teams that attend the best events in the country as well as elite instruction from our notable list of coaches & trainers. Furthermore, we offer year round training and Spring/Summer/Fall travel baseball seasons.  Come be part of the area's premier travel baseball program that is grounded in skill development, dedicated to excellence, committed to personal growth and service to our community, and instills a blue collar work-ethic that is consistent across all age levels!

Recent Baseball U PA College Commitments

Congratulations to our Athletes who are continuing their education and have committed to play at the next level.

Ethan Ladlee

Gannon decker.

Eric Rivera

Patrick McComb

Luke Goodwin

Isaac Gesford

Eric Newton

Trehnon Hugo

Jordan santiago.

Nick Dipalma

Pat Higgins

Braedyn Clinton

Aidan Eckley

Peter Modrovsky

Jayden Martinez

Nate meinweiser.

David Vozzo

Lucas Schweiker

Tyler Tucker

Sam Batiancila

Dylan Holmes

Tyler Harper

Cohen schadler.

Sam Serpiello

Nate Fronheiser

Connor McCloskey

Riley Jagger

Braedyn Kormanic

Luke Liptak

Jensen Chesnut

Anthony Trommer

Casey O'Brien

Stephen Hood

Henry Wetzel

Jonas Aponick

Brandon Wozniak

Zach pacziewski.

Patrick Munley

Nolan Walker

Silvio giardina.

Ryan Webber

Troy Dressler

Adam Horvath

Antonio Doganiero

Chaz Wright

Pittsburgh's First Data Driven Baseball Development Facility

Hitting and Pitching Lessons

Private baseball/ softball hitting and pitching lessons available in 1/2 hour individual lesson slots and weekend intensive sessions.

Velocity Training

Our WPIAL, NCAA & Professional Baseball Groups are the most sought after training environment in Western PA. Every winter, Our facility has the highest concentration of professional baseball players training for the upcoming season. Our youth baseball & fast pitch softball groups have rolling admissions

Training Programs

Remote training, team training, throwing programs and school consulting. Join over 130 Athletes, 3 collegiate and dozens of youth travel teams running PVS Programs remotely.

ABOUT PVS Baseball

Performance Velocity Systems (PVS) is Pittsburgh's first Data based training facility.  We use state of the art technology to objectively measure player development.  Our 7 years of experience in the suddenly popular weighted ball market dwarfs any facility or program in Western PA.  We use the mountains of data collected in our early years to streamline programs for our athletes. We have traveled to and partnered with forward thinking training facilities across the country to best serve our athletes.  Wherever that pursuit takes us, we go. The relationships we have made with the best coaches in America ensures that our athletes are always receiving the latest and best advantages technology and advanced training protocols provide.   We offer both in-house and remote training. PVS also offers team consulting, throwing programs, and weekend intensives.

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1000 FPS Motion Capture Paired with 4K Video monitors

Several custom & proprietary tools, software and tech.

275 Curry Hollow Rd

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

[email protected]

Tel: 412-951-1978

Thanks! We'll be in touch soon!

• Tiger Teams

All of our High School teams are Major/AAA level teams playing at the highest level. The color of the team is used to identify the team for tournament entries and roster notifications.

Our youth program has three distinct levels of competition. Click on the colors below to learn more about each level.

Plays AAA and Major tournaments. A minimum of one Major tournament is required.

Plays in AA and AAA tournaments. Must play in one AAA tournament.

Plays in open level or AA tournaments. No requirements to play in Major, AAA, or AA events.

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AC SPORTS MISSION AND VISION

AC Sports began in 2007 as Atlantic Coast Baseball. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, we saw a need for quality, local tournaments without having to travel to Ohio or Eastern Pennsylvania every weekend. Perfect timing, great facilities and awesome relationships all met at the right moment. Our philosophy of a coach and parent-first run event helped build the AC Sports brand into one of the most trusted tournament organizations in the Eastern United States. The success of baseball opened the door for Atlantic Coast Softball and the Cap Classic Tournament Series. Today, AC Sports plays host to over 2,000 teams and 50 tournaments each year!

What separates one tournament company from another? The answer is EXPERIENCE. AC Sports has over 15 years working with coaches, parents, umpires and facilities in an effort to offer the most complete tournament experience. Quality facilities and a prepared staff of knowledgeable professionals are where we start, but we’ve found our greatest asset to be our emphasis on communication. Staying connected and keeping parents, coaches and teams informed and up-to-date has been our key to success. We pride ourselves in doing youth sports right. You can see the evidence from our Who’s Coming Lists from year to year. Hundreds of teams return year after year to play in AC Sports events. Haven’t played in an AC Sports tournament yet? Sign your team up today and let us show you the AC Sports difference!

AC Sports is here to provide top quality youth sports competition, great facilities and an unmatched experience with a focus on transparency and communication.

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Cap Classic Tournament Series

Get your team together and visit Rocky Mount, NC for the 7th Annual Cap Classic North Carolina! -- June 7-9 | 8U-15U -- • 5-Game Guarantee • Baseballs and Umpire Fees Included • 18 Custom New Era hats Don't miss this chance to travel with the team, ... build relationships and play competitive baseball. Click here to register TODAY > https://buff.ly/3G3ulIl #travelball #youthsports #baseball #northcarolinabaseball #baseballtournament #newera

We are happy to announce that we have extended our Earlybird period! Use the coupon code "EARLYBIRD" until this Sunday, November 26th, to receive $50 off of eligible registrations! Click here to view the full schedule of events > https://buff.ly/3ncrLnR *Earlybird ... excludes the Cap Classic Series, College Series, Affiliate Series, and Shipyard Park tournaments*

Happy Thanksgiving from AC Sports and the Cap Classic®! We want to take a moment to express our gratitude for the incredible families and teams that have played with us over the years, as well as those who continue to choose us as their sports destination. Your support and participation mean the ... world to us. Thank you for being a part of our extended family!

We are hiring! We are hiring for both full-time and part-time positions based on YOUR needs! If you believe that you would be a good fit for our company, email your resume and a brief video explaining how you believe you can help our team to [email protected] !

We want to take a moment to say THANK YOU for a great 2023 tournament season! Providing you with the Ultimate Tournament Experience could not be done without the support from our many partners! In addition to those highlighted below, BIG THANKS to all of our awesome facilities, hotels, staff, ... coaches, and you – our dedicated participants! We truly appreciate the success and lifetime memories we’ve made this season. Until next year, CHEERS!

Start planning NOW for these MiLB promotions

• Facebook Share

Ninety Minor League Baseball teams open up Friday, joining the 30 Triple-A squads that kicked off the 2024 campaign on March 29. And with every Minor League season comes Minor League promotions, the vast array of theme nights and giveaways taking place on a nightly basis as supplements to the

Ninety Minor League Baseball teams open up Friday, joining the 30 Triple-A squads that kicked off the 2024 campaign on March 29. And with every Minor League season comes Minor League promotions, the vast array of theme nights and giveaways taking place on a nightly basis as supplements to the on-field action.

• Subscribe to Ben’s Biz Beat Newsletter

Here are some of the best Minor League promos taking place this season, a representative sampling as opposed to a definitive ranking. Dive in, and then make plans to visit your local Minor League ballpark to experience this sort of thing in person. Or, better yet, use our Minor League Ballpark Guides to plan a road trip. There's a lot going on, starting right now:

Rochester Moon Rocs vs. Lehigh Valley Space Pigs (Rochester Red Wings, April 5-7) Rochester, N.Y., will be in the path of totality for the total solar eclipse April 8, and the Red Wings are hosting an all-caps SOLARPALOOZA so fans can experience the phenomenon at Frontier Field . This will be preceded by three ballgames with an interstellar theme : The Red Wings (the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate) will transform into the Moon Rocs, with the opposing Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies) taking the field as the Space Pigs. Enjoy the action while partaking in a large number of themed concession specialties, such as Nebula Nachos and Meteorites Mac and Cheese.

Copa de la Diversión -- Back and bigger than ever Minor League Baseball's most well-populated alternate identity subgenre is within the realm of Copa de la Diversión, a Minor League-wide program dedicated to engaging with and celebrating Hispanic fans. Ninety-eight teams are participating in Copa this season, including five making their debuts and three that have totally rebranded from a previous identity. Read about 2024's new additions here , and explore the entire roster of Copa teams here .

Regional food-themed identities remain a strong presence on promotional calendars as well. To whet your appetite, here are three debuting in 2024.

Wichita Chili Buns (Wichita Wind Surge, April 19-20) In parts of the Midwest, including Wichita, it is acceptable and even encouraged to place a cinnamon bun directly atop a steaming bowl of chili. The Wind Surge are celebrating this sweet and savory combination for two games in April at Riverfront Stadium . The Double-A Twins affiliate will wear crimson jerseys featuring a Chili Buns wordmark that resembles classic diner signage. And speaking of diners...

Jersey Diners (Somerset Patriots, June 8/July 26/Aug. 11) New Jersey claims the status of Diner Capital of the World and the Somerset Patriots are in the center of it all. The Double-A Yankees affiliate is suiting up as the Diners on three occasions this season, taking the field at TD Bank Ballpark in caps emblazoned with a smiling cup of joe. The comprehensive logo set also includes a baseball diamond-shaped stack of pancakes, State and Eggs (the meat resembles New Jersey) and an homage to the Happy Waitress sandwich (an open-faced grilled cheese with bacon and tomato).

Biloxi King Cakes (Biloxi Shuckers, May 11/June 15/June 30/Aug. 13) Biloxi is home to Mississippi's longest-running Mardi Gras celebration, and the Brewers' Double-A affiliate is celebrating this distinction at MGM Park with the King Cakes identity . A carnival season staple, king cakes are colorful, customizable and made with a cinnamon roll-style dough. King Cakes are a spiritual successor to the New Orleans Baby Cakes, a now-defunct Triple-A team named after the baby figurine often hidden inside a king cake.

King cakes might wobble, but they don't bobble. For that, we'll travel to Central Pennsylvania.

Paul Skenes Bobblestache (and head) giveaway (Altoona Curve, April 13) Paul Skenes, selected by the Pirates with the first overall pick of the 2023 Draft, has impressive stuff and an even more impressive mustache. Skenes pitched for the Double-A Curve last season, and his presence inspired the Pittsburgh affiliate to stage a "Great Mustaches of History" theme night on April 13. It will be highlighted by a Skenes figurine that features two bobbling appendages, both head and 'stache. Get in line now at Peoples Natural Gas Field .

Luisangel and Ronald Acuña Sr. dual bobblehead (Binghamton Rumble Ponies, June 16) Seeing Ronald Acuña in a Mets uniform may seem odd at first, but the Acuña in question is Ronald Sr., who played for the Binghamton Mets in 2003-04. His son, Luisangel, took the field for Double-A Binghamton (now known as the Rumble Ponies) in 2023, making his Mets organizational debut after being traded from the Rangers in the Max Scherzer deal. Father and son will be honored in dual bobblehead form on June 16, when the Rumble Ponies also will wear Mets throwback uniforms at Mirabito Stadium .

Bobbleheads are a known commodity, but some giveaway items are boldly breaking new ground.

Hot dog-scented candle giveaway (Richmond Flying Squirrels, July 10) Finally, you can bring the meaty aroma of the ballpark to the privacy of your home. The Double-A Giants affiliate's self-explanatory hot dog-scented candle will be given away at The Diamond on July 10, which, of course, is National Hot Dog Day. Light it up and enjoy the aroma.

We now move on from the weird to the uncategorizable:

Public Domain Night (Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, May 19) The Marlins' Triple-A affiliate, desirous of not infringing on anyone's intellectual property, are hosting a theme night devoted to the public domain on May 19 at 121 Financial Ballpark . This salute to public-owned works of art is highlighted by a theme jersey featuring three immediately recognizable yet wholly unrelated entities: Steamboat Willie-era Mickey Mouse, King Kong and Van Gogh's "Starry Night." If you like these jerseys, feel free to create your own version.

This has all been a lot to take in, so let's conclude with nothing. Literally.

Nothing Night (various teams) A promotional concept first conceived by the Lake Elsinore Storm, Nothing Night is an evening at the ballpark with minimal distractions. No videoboard displays, no PA announcements, no between-inning contests. In short, just baseball. The Storm (Single-A Padres) have rebranded their long-running Nothing Night, which this season is taking place on July 14, as Sensory Friendly Night. Other variations of the concept will be staged by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A Phillies), Lynchburg Hillcats (Single-A Guardians), Inland Empire 66ers (Single-A Angels) and Louisville Bats (Triple-A Reds).

Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MiLB.com and writes Ben's Biz Blog . Follow Ben on Twitter @bensbiz .

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Start planning NOW for these MiLB promotions

• Facebook Share

Ninety Minor League Baseball teams open up Friday, joining the 30 Triple-A squads that kicked off the 2024 campaign on March 29. And with every Minor League season comes Minor League promotions, the vast array of theme nights and giveaways taking place on a nightly basis as supplements to the

Ninety Minor League Baseball teams open up Friday, joining the 30 Triple-A squads that kicked off the 2024 campaign on March 29. And with every Minor League season comes Minor League promotions, the vast array of theme nights and giveaways taking place on a nightly basis as supplements to the on-field action.

• Subscribe to Ben’s Biz Beat Newsletter

Here are some of the best Minor League promos taking place this season, a representative sampling as opposed to a definitive ranking. Dive in, and then make plans to visit your local Minor League ballpark to experience this sort of thing in person. Or, better yet, use our Minor League Ballpark Guides to plan a road trip. There's a lot going on, starting right now:

Rochester Moon Rocs vs. Lehigh Valley Space Pigs (Rochester Red Wings, April 5-7) Rochester, N.Y., will be in the path of totality for the total solar eclipse April 8, and the Red Wings are hosting an all-caps SOLARPALOOZA so fans can experience the phenomenon at Frontier Field . This will be preceded by three ballgames with an interstellar theme : The Red Wings (the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate) will transform into the Moon Rocs, with the opposing Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies) taking the field as the Space Pigs. Enjoy the action while partaking in a large number of themed concession specialties, such as Nebula Nachos and Meteorites Mac and Cheese.

Copa de la Diversión -- Back and bigger than ever Minor League Baseball's most well-populated alternate identity subgenre is within the realm of Copa de la Diversión, a Minor League-wide program dedicated to engaging with and celebrating Hispanic fans. Ninety-eight teams are participating in Copa this season, including five making their debuts and three that have totally rebranded from a previous identity. Read about 2024's new additions here , and explore the entire roster of Copa teams here .

Regional food-themed identities remain a strong presence on promotional calendars as well. To whet your appetite, here are three debuting in 2024.

Wichita Chili Buns (Wichita Wind Surge, April 19-20) In parts of the Midwest, including Wichita, it is acceptable and even encouraged to place a cinnamon bun directly atop a steaming bowl of chili. The Wind Surge are celebrating this sweet and savory combination for two games in April at Riverfront Stadium . The Double-A Twins affiliate will wear crimson jerseys featuring a Chili Buns wordmark that resembles classic diner signage. And speaking of diners...

Jersey Diners (Somerset Patriots, June 8/July 26/Aug. 11) New Jersey claims the status of Diner Capital of the World and the Somerset Patriots are in the center of it all. The Double-A Yankees affiliate is suiting up as the Diners on three occasions this season, taking the field at TD Bank Ballpark in caps emblazoned with a smiling cup of joe. The comprehensive logo set also includes a baseball diamond-shaped stack of pancakes, State and Eggs (the meat resembles New Jersey) and an homage to the Happy Waitress sandwich (an open-faced grilled cheese with bacon and tomato).

Biloxi King Cakes (Biloxi Shuckers, May 11/June 15/June 30/Aug. 13) Biloxi is home to Mississippi's longest-running Mardi Gras celebration, and the Brewers' Double-A affiliate is celebrating this distinction at MGM Park with the King Cakes identity . A carnival season staple, king cakes are colorful, customizable and made with a cinnamon roll-style dough. King Cakes are a spiritual successor to the New Orleans Baby Cakes, a now-defunct Triple-A team named after the baby figurine often hidden inside a king cake.

King cakes might wobble, but they don't bobble. For that, we'll travel to Central Pennsylvania.

Paul Skenes Bobblestache (and head) giveaway (Altoona Curve, April 13) Paul Skenes, selected by the Pirates with the first overall pick of the 2023 Draft, has impressive stuff and an even more impressive mustache. Skenes pitched for the Double-A Curve last season, and his presence inspired the Pittsburgh affiliate to stage a "Great Mustaches of History" theme night on April 13. It will be highlighted by a Skenes figurine that features two bobbling appendages, both head and 'stache. Get in line now at Peoples Natural Gas Field .

Luisangel and Ronald Acuña Sr. dual bobblehead (Binghamton Rumble Ponies, June 16) Seeing Ronald Acuña in a Mets uniform may seem odd at first, but the Acuña in question is Ronald Sr., who played for the Binghamton Mets in 2003-04. His son, Luisangel, took the field for Double-A Binghamton (now known as the Rumble Ponies) in 2023, making his Mets organizational debut after being traded from the Rangers in the Max Scherzer deal. Father and son will be honored in dual bobblehead form on June 16, when the Rumble Ponies also will wear Mets throwback uniforms at Mirabito Stadium .

Bobbleheads are a known commodity, but some giveaway items are boldly breaking new ground.

Hot dog-scented candle giveaway (Richmond Flying Squirrels, July 10) Finally, you can bring the meaty aroma of the ballpark to the privacy of your home. The Double-A Giants affiliate's self-explanatory hot dog-scented candle will be given away at The Diamond on July 10, which, of course, is National Hot Dog Day. Light it up and enjoy the aroma.

We now move on from the weird to the uncategorizable:

Public Domain Night (Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, May 19) The Marlins' Triple-A affiliate, desirous of not infringing on anyone's intellectual property, are hosting a theme night devoted to the public domain on May 19 at 121 Financial Ballpark . This salute to public-owned works of art is highlighted by a theme jersey featuring three immediately recognizable yet wholly unrelated entities: Steamboat Willie-era Mickey Mouse, King Kong and Van Gogh's "Starry Night." If you like these jerseys, feel free to create your own version.

This has all been a lot to take in, so let's conclude with nothing. Literally.

Nothing Night (various teams) A promotional concept first conceived by the Lake Elsinore Storm, Nothing Night is an evening at the ballpark with minimal distractions. No videoboard displays, no PA announcements, no between-inning contests. In short, just baseball. The Storm (Single-A Padres) have rebranded their long-running Nothing Night, which this season is taking place on July 14, as Sensory Friendly Night. Other variations of the concept will be staged by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A Phillies), Lynchburg Hillcats (Single-A Guardians), Inland Empire 66ers (Single-A Angels) and Louisville Bats (Triple-A Reds).

Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MiLB.com and writes Ben's Biz Blog . Follow Ben on Twitter @bensbiz .

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