Herald staff report

BRADENTON -- The Bradenton Marauders, the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, have released their 2013 Florida State League schedule. The Marauders play their first home game of the season at McKechnie Field on Friday, April 5 against the Fort Myers Miracle. The season begins at Fort Myers on Thursday, April 4.

Non-Sunday home games will be played at 6:30 p.m. Sunday home games in the first half of the season will be played at 1 p.m. Sunday home games in the second half will start at 5 p.m. The game on Sunday, April 28 will also be a 5 p.m. game. The Marauders will hold Education Day on Wednesday, May 1 and Camp Day on Wednesday, July 24, with special 10 a.m. start times for both days.

Fans will have plenty of opportunities to catch the Marauders from the outset of the 2013 season. Bradenton plays 14 times at McKechnie Field in April. The ballpark at the corner of 9th Street West and 17th Avenue West will be extra busy in July when the Marauders play a season-high 16 home games, including an eight-day home stand from July 17-24.

Fort Myers will be the Marauders' most frequent opponent in 2013. The Marauders and Miracle face each other 20 times. The 2013 regular season will start and end for the Marauders at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. The 2012 Florida State League Champion Lakeland Flying Tigers will face the Marauders four times at McKechnie Field from July 21-24.