(USPBL) is starting its ninth season on May 17 at Jimmy John’s Field in Utica.
The league is made up of four teams —the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers, Eastside Diamond Hoppers, Utica Unicorns, and Westside Woolly Mammoths — that play against each other every weekend throughout the summer, totaling about 70 games. The teams are comprised of local and nationally trained college baseball players, who are hoping to eventuallyget signed by a Major league team.
“They do a good job of putting us in front of the right people and making sure we’re in the best positions possible under their care,” Westside Woolly Mammoths player Zach Beadle said.
USPBL’s owner and CEO, Andy Appleby, is prepared for this season to be the best one yet. Last year, the stadium averaged 3,300 fans a game, and he’s sure that this one will succeed that.
“It’s a wonderful family environment, and the baseball is terrific,” Appleby said. “People don’t necessarily expect that we have guys throwing a 100 miles per hour, but we’ve had 10 or 11 guys do that in our first eight years.”
While baseball is the main attraction, the league’s promotional nights aid in attracting fans to the stadium. Almost every game day involves a variety of exciting activities or events, including fireworks on Friday, heritage nights for a variety of cultures, and live music from several bands.
Like the past few years, fans are excited to see the field general, an adorable dog named JJ who assists in helping the team.
“We’re a baseball stadium, but JJ is definitely the star of the show,” Katie Page, USPBL’s Vice President of Marketing said. JJ assists in bringing umpires water, grabbing the players bats after a hit, and bringing one lucky fan a flower during the games
The season ends after Labor Day on Sept. 7. The lineup for this year’s season is as follows:
- May 17: Utica Unicorns vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- May 18: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 5:30 p.m.
- May 19: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Utica Unicorns at 1:05 p.m.
- May 24: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 7:05 p.m.
- May 25: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Utica Unicorns at 5:30 p.m.
- May 31: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 7:05 p.m.
- June 1: Utica Unicorns vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 5:30 p.m.
- June 2: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 1:05 p.m.
- June 6: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 7:05 p.m.
- June 7: Utica Unicorns vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 7:05 p.m.
- June 8: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 5:30 p.m.
- June 9: Utica Unicorns vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 1:05 p.m.
- June 13: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- June 14: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- June 15: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Utica Unicorns at 5:30 p.m.
- June 16: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 1:05 p.m.
- June 20: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Utica Unicorns at 7:05 p.m.
- June 21: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- June 22: Utica Unicorns vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 5:30 p.m.
- June 23: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 1:05 p.m.
- June 27: Utica Unicorns vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- June 28: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Utica Unicorns at 7:05 p.m.
- June 29: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 5:30 p.m.
- July 4: Utica Unicorns vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 7:05 p.m.
- July 5: Homerun Derby and All-Star Game
- July 12: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Utica Unicorns at 7:05 p.m.
- July 13: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 5:30 p.m.
- July 18: Utica Unicorns vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- July 19: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- July 20: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Utica Unicorns at 5:30 p.m.
- July 21: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 1:05 p.m.
- July 25: Utica Unicorns vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- July 26: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 7:05 p.m.
- July 27: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Utica Unicorns at 5:30 p.m.
- July 28: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 1:05 p.m.
- 1: Utica Unicorns vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 7:05 p.m.
- 2: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Utica Unicorns at 7:05 p.m.
- 3: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 5:30 p.m.
- 4: Utica Unicorns vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 1:05 p.m.
- 8: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 7:05 p.m.
- 9: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 7:05 p.m.
- 10: Utica Unicorns vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 7:05 p.m.
- 11: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Utica Unicorns at 1:05 p.m.
- 14: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- 15: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 7:05 p.m.
- 16: Utica Unicorns vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- 17: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Utica Unicorns at 7:05 p.m.
- 18: Utica Unicorns vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 1:05 p.m.
- 21: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 7:05 p.m.
- 22: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 7:05 p.m.
- 23: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- 24: Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers vs. Utica Unicorns at 7:05 p.m.
- 25: Westside Woolly Mammoths vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers at 1:05 p.m.
- 29: Utica Unicorns vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 7:05 p.m.
- 30: Eastside Diamond Hoppers vs. Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers at 7:05 p.m.
- 32 Utica Unicorns vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths at 7:05 p.m.
- 5-6: Playoff games
- Sept 7: Championship game
For more information, visit . Plus, be sure to visit hourdetroit.com for even more local sports news.
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