BELOIT — The 2021 season schedule for the Beloit Snappers was released by Major League Baseball on Thursday. The team will play 120 games, including 60 home games in Beloit, between May 4 and September 19.
Beloit Baseball also announced that the team will play the entire 2021 season as the Snappers before completing their anticipated rebrand prior to the 2022 season.
“Under the new Professional Development License system, Major League Baseball offered our franchise the opportunity to work with their branding, merchandising, and marketing teams to become the first affiliate to partner directly with them to unveil a new team identity in 2022,” team president Jeff Jurgella said. “It is a win-win for our organization. The history of the Snappers will be honored with a full-season send-off and our organization will have the opportunity to tap into the talent and resources of Major League Baseball to bring the name selected by fans through the fan vote to life in even bigger and better ways. We’re excited to announce the full schedule for the Snappers Farewell Season today.”
The Snappers will begin the Farewell Season on the road May 4-9 in Appleton playing against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. They will host the South Bend Cubs in Beloit on May 11-16 for their home opener series. The Snappers schedule will conclude on Sunday, September 19th with the conclusion of a six-game road series against the Lake County Captains.
A six-game series format will be maintained throughout the 2021 season with the Snappers playing games on Tuesday-Sunday each week. Monday will serve as a league-wide off-day throughout the season to allow for easier team travel.
To allow for teams to play as many games as possible, the Midwest League will not hold playoffs in 2021.
To limit travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Snappers will play 19 of their 20 series in 2021 against teams in the High-A Central League’s West Division. Stadium capacity limits are expected to be implemented for the 2021 season and will be announced leading up to the season.
The Snappers 2021 season schedule will be as follows:
● May 4-9 at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
● May 11-16 vs South Bend Cubs
● May 18-23 at Cedar Rapids Kernels
● May 25-30 vs Peoria Chiefs
● June 1-6 vs. Quad Cities River Bandits
● June 8-13 vs Cedar Rapids Kernels
● June 15-20 at Peoria Chiefs
● June 22-27 vs Quad Cities River Bandits
● June 29-July 4 vs Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
● July 6-11 at South Bend Cubs
● July 13-18 vs Quad Cities River Bandits
● July 20-25 at Cedar Rapids Kernels
● July 27-August 1 at Peoria Chiefs
● August 3-8 vs Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
● August 10-15 at Quad Cities River Bandits
● August 17-22 vs Peoria Chiefs
● August 24-29 vs Cedar Rapids Kernels
● August 31-September 5 at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
● September 7-12 vs South Bend Cubs
● September 14-19 at Lake County Captains
Beloit Baseball signs 10-year professional development license with Miami Marlins
Beloit Baseball has signed a Professional Development License with the Miami Marlins, officially beginning a 10-year contract to serve as Miami’s Advanced-A affiliate.
“Our organization is very excited to officially become an affiliate of the Miami Marlins,” team president Jeff Jurgella said. “Forming a long-term relationship with the Marlins is a great move forward for our franchise and for professional baseball in Beloit. We’re looking forward to opening a state-of-the-art stadium in downtown Beloit to serve both as one of the best places in the country to develop talented players and one of the best places for fans to enjoy the game of baseball.”
Beloit was officially invited to become an affiliate of the Marlins in December as part of the new Professional Development License system designed to modernize the player development system and provide affiliated teams access to Major League Baseball’s partnerships, tools, technology, and content to enhance fan experience.
Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. said: “We are excited to unveil this new model, which not only provides a pipeline to the Majors, but continues the Minor Leagues’ tradition of entertaining millions of families in hundreds of communities. In modernizing our Minor League system, we prioritized the qualities that make the Minor Leagues such an integral part of our game while strengthening how we develop professional athletes on and off the field. We look forward to demonstrating the best of our game throughout local communities, supporting all those who are working hard to grow the sport, and sharing unrivaled technology and resources with minor league teams and players.”
Prior to the invitation to join the Marlins organization, Beloit was an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics from 2013-2020, the Minnesota Twins from 2005-2012, and the Milwaukee Brewers from 1982-2004. The team has played at the Class-A level since 1982 and will move up to the Advanced-A classification in 2021.
“Not only will we be joining a first-class organization with one of the best farm systems in baseball, but our team will be moving up to the Advanced-A classification in 2021, allowing us to bring even better baseball and more talented prospects to the field in Beloit for our fans to watch,” Jurgella said. “The timing of the new deal has worked well for our franchise, allowing us to ensure the new stadium is built to meet all facility requirements for ballparks, an important step to cementing the long-term success of professional baseball in our community.”
In addition to Beloit, the Marlins minor league system will also include the Jupiter Hammerheads at the Class-A level, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Double-A, and the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
