MWL West Michigan Whitecaps

2024 Whitecaps Season Begins April 5, Home Opener April 9

March 29, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


Comstock Park, MI - The start of baseball season is always highly anticipated, and this year is no exception!

The Whitecaps 2024 season starts on the road, Friday, April 5, with a 3-game series against the Lake County Captains. To kick off the season, the Whitecaps Promotions team will hide envelopes throughout the greater Grand Rapids area in the Whitecaps Opening Day Lucky Envelope Scavenger Hunt. Each lucky envelope is filled with four box seat tickets to the Whitecaps home opener on April 9, a parking pass, four hot dog and soda vouchers, and a $50 gift card that can be used in LMCU Ballpark for concessions and merchandise. Two envelopes will be hidden every day starting Monday, April 1 through Friday, April 5. Clues to the envelope locations will be revealed on the Whitecaps Facebook page, and fans who find the envelopes are encouraged to post their photos on social media in celebration of the season start.

The Whitecaps home opener, presented by LMCU, begins with the first pitch at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9 against the Quad Cities River Bandits. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Whitecaps knit scarf. As tradition, the Dixieland Band will entertain fans as they enter the gates. It's also Joy99 Bulletin Tuesday, so fans can get half off tickets with a community or worship bulletin. The first game of the season will be capped off with a post-game fireworks show, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance.

Opening Day also brings exciting new things from the Whitecaps. "Our Ballpark Reimagine project is well underway with Phase One and fans will be able to see the progress made on the stadium addition," said Jim Jarecki, VP and General Manager of the Whitecaps. "The structure for the new hospitality space and batting tunnels has taken shape. It's exciting to see the renovation in full swing." Phase Two will include a complete field upgrade, relocation of bullpens to the outfield, reconfigured outfield walls and new hospitality terraces on the first and third base sides. Phase Two will begin at the end of the 2024 season.

There are unique new food offerings at the ballpark this year, too. "Dugout Tots was the winner of the Ballpark Chef Challenge in which local areas chefs competed against one another to come up with the ultimate concession food. Chef Jeff VanderMeulen's creation is a take on the Cuban sandwich, featuring tater tots topped with carnitas seasoned pulled pork, smoky bacon cheddar sauce, dill pickle aioli, bacon bits, pickled onion, crispy onion, honey Dijon mustard and chives. "Who doesn't love a flavorful and finger licking bowl of tots," said Danielle O'Connor, Food and Beverage Operations Manager for the West Michigan Whitecaps. Dugout Tots can be found at the Queso Castle on the third base side.

There are other new food items on the menu this year, too, including Mini Donuts and Donut Ice Cream Sliders at Ice Cream Land, Jalapeno Bacon Firecrackers at the Queso Castle and Rice Bowls at the food cart located behind home plate. "Tony Capp's Big Beef Sandwich, named for the Whitecaps new manager, Tony Cappuccilli, was the hit of our menu reveal a couple weeks ago. It starts with thinly sliced beef marinated in authentic Italian seasoning, piled on a French bread roll and topped with melted Swiss cheese. It is delicious," O'Connor said. The Big Beef can be found at the Quesadilla Cart behind home plate.

Among the many notable dates at LMCU Ballpark this season include:

4 Dog Day dates to bring your pooch to the ballpark: Thursday, April 11; Thursday, May 9; Wednesday, June 19; and Tuesday, September 3

Prospect Series Bobblehead giveaways to the first 1,000 fans are Colt Keith on Saturday, May 11, Jackson Jobe on Tuesday, June 11 and Jace Jung on Saturday, September 7

Bluey and Bingo character appearances Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1

The first alternate persona game (AKA Grand Slam Brands) is Sunday, June 2 when the Whitecaps become Las Calaveras de West Michigan. Followed by Grand Rapids Dam Breakers on Saturday, August 10 and Beer City Bung Hammers on Saturday, August 23. (Las Calaveras returns on Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, August 25).

Princess and Pirates Night is Friday, June 14

Human Cannonball and Fireworks Show Saturday, June 15

Star Wars Night returns on Saturday, June 22

Marvel's Superhero Weekend begins Friday, July 19 featuring an appearance by Captain America followed by Black Panther on Saturday, July 20 and Spider-Man on Sunday, July 21

Negro League Appreciation Night on Thursday, August 8

For the full promotion schedule, tickets and other information, visit whitecapsbaseball.com.

Check out the West Michigan Whitecaps Statistics



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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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