Waves Announce 2017 Schedule
By Stone Freeman
The Ocean State Waves have announced their 2017 regular season schedule. The Waves are set to compete in a 44 game NECBL schedule. 22 of those games will be played at home at Old Mountain in South Kingston, Rhode Island. Opening night is set for Tuesday June 6, 2017 when the Waves take on the Keene Swap Bats in South Kingston. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The Waves will play nine home games during the month of June while spending 10 games on the road in the opening month. The 2017 schedule also include the annual NECBL All-Star game is scheduled for Sunday July 30, in North Adams.
All but one of the Waves’ home contests will be played on either Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday nights. The only exception to this is Monday, July 17, as the Waves take on the Mystic Schooners at Old Mountain Field. “We really wanted to keep the Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday approach,” Waves President and General Manager Matt Finlayson said. “That is really consistent to our schedule.”
As southern Rhode Island is a high traffic area in the summer months, a majority of Waves home games are during the second half of the season. Of the Waves 22 home games, 12 of them are played during the month of July and one is played in August. “We back loaded the schedule so there are more home games in July than June,” Finlayson said. “This definitely helps in South County with a summer crowd and school being out.”
With just over four months until the NECBL summer begins it is tough to put a finger on the high impact games of the season. However, with just a 44 game slate every game is of importance as the Waves look to make a playoff push. “We have to bring it every night,” Finlayson said. “We have to play quality baseball and try to get a win. Wins matter early, in the middle, and late [in the season]. Every win is incredibly important and winning in your division no matter what time of year it is, is incredibly substantial.”
The Waves will release a full promotional schedule in the coming months. But, for now fans should be assured that the Waves’ summer will include fun for all ages and affordable ticket pricing. The ticket prices have not changed from last seasons. Adult tickets are listened at $5.00, children 12 and under and senior citizen tickets are $2.00, and any fan presenting a military ID is FREE.
“Fans can expect a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday game schedule with a 6:30 start time with a ton of marketing and promotional activities,” Finlayson said. “Expect a family fun atmosphere at home games with affordable family entertainment.”
