Bradenton Marauders unveil 2017 regular-season schedule

Less than two months removed from their first Florida State League championship, the Marauders unveiled their the 2017 schedule Tuesday. The Pirates’ Class A Advanced affiliate will begin its title defense April 6 against the Stone Crabs in Port Charlotte and begin its home season at McKechnie Field against Charlotte two days later.

Bradenton is scheduled to host 70 home games this season as the Marauders will once again play in the FSL’s South division with the Stone Crabs, Miracle, Hammerheads, Cardinals and Mets. The addition of an unbalanced schedule for the upcoming season, however, means teams from the North will more frequently visit McKechnie. The full schedule is available at bradentonmarauders.com.

The cross-division schedule will also feature a new opponent for the Marauders. The Brevard County Manatees are moving to Kissimmee and changing affiliation from the Brewers to the Braves. Atlanta’s new FSL club has yet to be named and will visit Bradenton for a four-game series from June 30-July 3. Milwaukee is now affiliated with the Carolina Mudcats of the Carolina League.

The rest of the North — the Threshers, Yankees, Blue Jays, Tortugas and Flying Tigers — remains intact and an unbalanced schedule will allow the North’s teams situated on the Tampa Bay Area can more frequently play other Gulf Coast teams, such as the Marauders.

Bradenton’s longest homestand of the 2017 season is an eight-game stretch in mid-August. The Marauders begin the stand by hosting Charlotte, the Rays’ FSL team, on Aug. 10 and conclude against Daytona on Aug. 17. Both series are four-game sets.

Bradenton concludes the regular season at home with a two-game series against Charlotte on Sept. 2 and 3. The All-Star break will stretch from June 16-18.

This story was originally published October 12, 2016 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Bradenton Marauders unveil 2017 regular-season schedule."