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MWL Cedar Rapids Kernels

Cinco Estaciones Returns in 2022

March 31, 2022 - Midwest League (MWL)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release


New York City, NY - Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™) today unveiled the schedule of games and the 85 on-field Hispanic identities for this season's Copa de la Diversión® (Fun Cup™) event series. Continuing its annual expansion into more communities, eight new teams joined Copa de la Diversión ("Copa") this season, with five teams returning with rebranded personas.

The 387-game event series will kick off April 9 in Hillsboro, Oregon, with Nationwide returning as the Official Insurance Partner of the Copa initiative.

The eight MiLB teams joining Copa for the first time include the Fort Wayne TinCaps, Frisco RoughRiders, Great Lakes Loons, Quad Cities River Bandits, Somerset Patriots, St. Paul Saints, Syracuse Mets and Wichita Wind Surge. Two teams - the Corpus Christi Hooks and Winston-Salem Dash - return with all-new identities, while the Fresno Grizzlies, Lehigh Valley IronPigs and South Bend Cubs are back with updated looks.

Copa de la Diversión is the centerpiece of MiLB's "Es Divertido Ser Un Fan™" ("It's Fun to be A Fan™") Hispanic fan engagement initiative, which was created in 2017. Through the success of the Copa program, now in its fifth season, MiLB has solidified its commitment to the long-term growth of its U.S. Latino communities and its diversity and inclusion efforts across the country.

"It is important to our organization and all of Minor League Baseball that we continue to embrace everyone in and around our communities through the Copa initiative," said Frisco RoughRiders President Victor Rojas. "We are excited to honor our rich and diverse Latino culture in hopes of creating a deeper connection to our community on a year-round basis."

During the first four seasons of the initiative, Copa-designated games had a nearly 20% higher average attendance than non-Copa games, and participating teams saw significant increases in merchandise sales, partnerships, and concessions revenues. Extending their reach into local communities, teams partnered with more than 200 local Latino organizations on various events and charitable endeavors.

"The continued growth of the Copa de la Diversión initiative reinforces the importance of connecting with our Latino fans and the Latino community nationwide," said Kurt Hunzeker, MLB's Vice President of Minor League Business Operations. "Our teams continue to authentically connect with the Latino population in their communities, leading to a deeper and more meaningful fan experience."

At the end of the season, MiLB's Latino Leadership and Community Growth Council, comprised of industry experts and civic leaders, will recognize the top-performing teams in several categories, including ballpark experience, community engagement, and philanthropic impact, and one team will be named the overall Copa de la Diversión champion. Previous winners include the Mariachis de Nuevo México (2018 and 2019) and the Wepas de Worcester (2021).

For more information on Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversión initiative, visit

MiLB.com/copa. To purchase tickets and official merchandise, visit MiLB.com/fans/copa/teams.

Opening Day 2022 is set for April 8 at 6:35 p.m. as the Kernels open their season against the Beloit Sky Carp. Single game tickets are now on sale, available at milb.com/cedar-rapids/tickets or by calling the ticket office at (319) 896-7560.

To keep up to date on information regarding the Kernels 2022 season please visit www.kernels.com or follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds and subscribe to our Kernels email newsletter.

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