SHOREBIRDS UNVEIL 2011 SEASON SCHEDULE

SAL All-Star Game and Salisbury Exhibition Highlight Home Slate

Salisbury, Md. – The Delmarva Shorebirds are excited to release the 2011 season schedule. The Shorebirds will once again play 70 regular season home games at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. Additionally, the Shorebirds will host the 2011 South Atlantic League “Strike Out Hunger” All-Star Game sponsored by Perdue on June 21 and a special exhibition game against Salisbury University on April 5.

“The 2011 season promises to be one of the most exciting seasons to date, said general manager Chris Bitters. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the way the schedule has aligned and then to host the 2011 SAL “Strike Out Hunger” All-Star Game and a special exhibition game against Salisbury University will make this a great season for our fans and the community.”

For a second straight year, the Shorebirds will prepare for the season by playing a tune up game against Division III powerhouse Salisbury University on April 5 at Perdue Stadium. To begin the 2010 season, the Shorebirds defeated the Sea Gulls 9-6 in front of a raucous crowd of 3,573 fans.

The Shorebirds will begin the 2011 campaign at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium for the first time since 2008. The Shorebirds open the South Atlantic League portion of their schedule on April 7th with a four-game series against the Greensboro Grasshoppers. They finish the first homestand of the season with four games against the Kannapolis Intimidators between April 11 and 14.

In 2011, 22 of the 70 total home games will be played on Friday and Saturday nights (11 on Friday, 11 on Saturday).

In May, the Shorebirds are home for 14 dates including two weekend series against Greensboro (May 13-16) and West Virginia (May 27-28).

The month of June is highlighted by the South Atlantic League “Strike Out Hunger” All-Star Game sponsored by Perdue. In collaboration with Perdue, the Shorebirds are hosting the three-day event at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium for the first time since 1999. The actual all-star game will be contested on June 21st, pitting the best players from the Northern Division and the premier talent from the Southern Division. Additional all-star festivities will include: home run derby, fan fest and other events that will be announced at a later date.

The Shorebirds will enjoy a lot of home cooking in the month of July. The month begins with a three-game series against rival Lakewood (July 1-3). The Shorebirds return to Perdue Stadium for a seven-game homestand in the middle of the month against Asheville (July 12-15) and Hickory (July 16-18). To conclude July, the Shorebirds will play a four-game weekend set against Hagerstown between July 28 and July 31.

In August, the Shorebirds will play three separate four-game home series. The Lakewood BlueClaws come to town from August 1 through August 4. During the second week of August, the Hagerstown Suns visit from August 10 through August 13. The BlueClaws return to Arthur W. Perdue Stadium for a four-game series on August 22.

For a fifth consecutive season, the Shorebirds will close the curtain on the 2011 season at Perdue Stadium. The ‘Birds will entertain the West Virginia Power from September 1 through September 5.

The road portion of the schedule features two trips to the state of Georgia for the first time in several years. The Shorebirds will travel to Augusta to play the GreenJackets from April 19 through 23. The last time the Shorebirds travelled to Augusta was during the 2007 season. The ‘Birds will depart for Rome to battle the Braves from July 20 through July 22. The Shorebirds have not travelled to Rome since the 2004 season.

Ticket packages for the 2011 season are now on sale. For more information, contact the Delmarva Shorebirds front office at 410-219-3112.