DAVENPORT, IOWA – The Quad Cities River Bandits have released their 2017 Midwest League regular season schedule. The season begins at home on Thursday, April 6, 2017 at 6:35 p.m. CT against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The start time begins a new trend at Modern Woodmen Park, with all weekday and Saturday night games scheduled for a 6:35 start time in 2017. All times on the released schedule are in Central Daylight Time and are subject to change. A full promotional schedule will be released closer to the start of the season.
The quick, two-game opening homestand wraps up on Friday, April 7, at 6:35 p.m. with a post-game fireworks display, presented by Smart Toyota of Quad Cities. The River Bandits are home at least two Friday nights every month of the season, including the first three Friday nights of the year on April 7, April 14 and April 21. The River Bandits will also be home on July 4 in 2017, hosting the Kane County Cougars at 6:35 p.m. before a patriotic, post-game fireworks display.
The first two Sunday games of the season, April 23 and May 7, will be 1:15 p.m. start times before switching to 5:15 p.m. first pitches for the Sundays of May 28, June 4, June 25, July 9, and July 23. The last three Sunday home games of 2017, August 6, August 27 and September 3, will revert to a 1:15 p.m. start.
The River Bandits will host three Book Buddies reading days with special 11:00 a.m. start times on Tuesday, April 25, and back-to-back days Monday, May 15, and Tuesday, May 16, against the Burlington Bees. The Bandits will also play matinee weekday games on Monday, July 24, against the defending Midwest League Champion Great Lakes Loons at 1:15 p.m. and on Monday, September 4, in the regular season finale against the Timber Rattlers at 1:00 p.m. for a Labor Day special. On May 29, Memorial Day, the River Bandits will host the Beloit Snappers at 5:15 p.m.
The home opponents for the River Bandits in 2017 (in order of appearance at Modern Woodmen Park):
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (5 games; April 6-7, September 2-4)
Kane County Cougars (9 games; April 13-15, June 2-4, July 4-6)
Clinton LumberKings (8 games; April 20-23, July 7-10)
Peoria Chiefs (11 games; April 24-26, May 22-25, August 14-17)
Fort Wayne TinCaps (3 games; May 2-4)
Lake County Captains (3 games; May 5-7)
Burlington Bees (6 games; May 15-17, August 2-4)
Beloit Snappers (8 games; May 26-29, August 5-8)
Cedar Rapids Kernels (11 games; June 13-15, June 22-25, August 25-28)
Lansing Lugnuts (3 games; July 19-21)
Great Lakes Loons (3 games; July 22-24)
For ticket information, including season tickets, group outings and partial season plans, call (563) 324-3000 or email Bandit@RiverBandits.com. Also stay tuned to www.riverbandits.com and River Bandits social media for updates on single-game tickets, pricing, the promotional schedule and more for the 2017 season.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The 2017 season marks the River Bandits’ fifth year as the Class-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and the tenth anniversary season of regaining the River Bandits moniker, which was voted a top-8 nickname in all of Minor League Baseball in 2015. The River Bandits anchor the Quad Cities sports market, which the Sports Business Journal named the top minor league sports market in the country in their latest rankings. Each year the River Bandits donate three full-year cost of college scholarships to local students, a value of over $60,000, as part of the Bandit Scholars Program, which has been in place since 2009. Charitable contributions surpassed $300,000 in 2016, including a $50,000 cash donation to Genesis hospital for the third consecutive season. For more information on the Quad Cities River Bandits, visit www.riverbandits.com or contact Jake Levy at (563) 333-2727.
