Pelicans game to be televised for second straight year

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (MAY 27, 2015) - On Sunday, June 7, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, will host the Carolina Mudcats in a televised broadcast at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. The game will air as part of the "Minor League Baseball Sunday Showcase" on the American Sports Network (ASN). First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. and gates will open at 5 p.m. The matchup is one of the 15 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) games selected to air this season. This is the second consecutive year that the Pelicans will have a game televised. On July 3, 2014, the club took on the Winston-Salem Dash on CBS Sports Network. The game will air locally and in markets across the country. 

"We're thrilled to be featured by Minor League Baseball and the American Sports Network," said Pelicans Vice President and General Manager Andy Milovich. "The privilege to showcase a packed roster of Chicago Cubs prospects from the best farm system in Minor League Baseball, in one of the iconic destinations in America, is a tremendous opportunity."

The game will be available on multiple affiliates of the American Sports Network nationwide, including channels in the Myrtle Beach and Chicago markets. Locally, the game will air on WWMB CW 21.

The telecast will be carried in and around the Chicago market on Comcast SportsNet (CSN), which announced on Tuesday that it will carry all 15 games of the Minor League Baseball Sunday Showcase. The Pelicans game on June 7 will air on Comcast SportsNet Plus. Viewers in the Chicago market are urged to visit CSNChicago.com's CHANNEL FINDER for complete channel location details.

Altitude Sports and Cox Sports Television will also carry the broadcast. Click here for a channel listing for Altitude Sports in your area. To see if Cox Sports Television is available in your area, go here for their affiliate map.

The ballpark experience that night features Daddy-Daughter Date Night, presented by Star 92.1, as part of 99.5 WRNN Hot Talk Family Sundays and includes an East Coast Pyrotechnics Extravaganza after the game.

MiLB announced last week that it had reached an agreement with ASN, a division of Sinclair Networks Group, LLC, to televise a weekly game this summer in the new "Minor League Baseball Sunday Showcase." 

This relationship complements Minor League Baseball's growing presence on national television for the 2015 season. The 15-game slate of MiLB games includes 25 teams, 11 different leagues and 20 Major League Baseball affiliates across all classifications of Minor League Baseball.

"We look at our new relationship with ASN as yet another way to expand the reach of Minor League Baseball beyond the ballpark," said Michael Hand, Minor League Baseball CMO and President, MiLB Enterprises. "We have been a part of the sports landscape for more than a century and provided entertainment to millions of fans. We're thrilled to bring the Minor League Baseball grassroots experience into more American homes and tell the incredible stories of our clubs while highlighting the commitment made to each community."

Additionally, ASN will televise two All-Star Games, beginning with the Florida State League (Class A-Advanced) matchup Saturday, June 20, from Port St. Lucie, Florida, and the Midwest League (Single-A) All-Star Game Tuesday, June 23, from Peoria, Illinois.

The new showcase series will begin May 31 with a Triple-A Pacific Coast League matchup between the Chicago Cubs Triple-A affiliate, the Iowa Cubs, and the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres) at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas. The television schedule concludes with a Tar Heel State matchup as the Hickory Crawdads visit the Greensboro Grasshoppers on August 23.

The full lineup of games:

• May 31: Iowa Cubs (Cubs) at El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres), 7 p.m. ET
• June 7: Carolina Mudcats (Braves) at MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (Cubs), 6 p.m. ET
• June 14: Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) at Lexington Legends (Royals), 6 p.m. ET
• June 20: Florida State League All-Star Game at Port St. Lucie, Florida, 7 p.m. ET
• June 21: Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) at Altoona Curve (Pirates), 6 p.m. ET
• June 23: Midwest League All-Star Game at Peoria, Illinois, 8 p.m. ET
• June 28: Springfield Cardinals (Cardinals) at Arkansas Travelers (Angels), 7 p.m. ET
• July 5: Akron RubberDucks (Indians) at Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants), 6 p.m. ET
• July 12: Spokane Indians (Rangers) at Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks), 7 p.m. ET
• July 19: Aberdeen IronBirds (Orioles) at Tri-City ValleyCats (Astros), 6 p.m. ET
• July 26: Durham Bulls (Rays) at Norfolk Tides (Orioles), 6 p.m. ET
• Aug. 2: Nashville Sounds (Athletics) at Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 6 p.m. ET
• Aug. 9: Birmingham Barons (White Sox) at Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Reds), 6 p.m. ET
• Aug. 16: Gwinnett Braves (Braves) at Columbus Clippers (Indians), 6 p.m. ET
• Aug. 23: Hickory Crawdads (Rangers) at Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins), 6 p.m. ET

The games' on-air talent includes current ASN broadcasters Dave Armstrong, Keith Moreland and Brian McRae. Armstrong, who will do play-by-play, boasts professional sports credentials including three seasons in Major League Baseball as the television voice of the Kansas City Royals (1993-1995) followed by six seasons with the Colorado Rockies (1996-2001). Moreland, a 12-year MLB veteran who played for the Phillies, Cubs and Padres, and McRae, who played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball and six seasons in Minor League Baseball, will serve as color analysts. Moreland's broadcast experience includes serving as TV and radio analyst for Texas Longhorns baseball and football. He also worked as lead radio analyst for the Chicago Cubs, and as a college baseball TV analyst for ESPN. McRae has worked as a television studio analyst for ESPN's Baseball Tonight, WGN and SportsChannel Chicago, and part-time game analyst for the Kansas City Royals.

The Pelicans broadcast on June 7 will feature Brian McRae as the analyst with play-by-play announcer Dave Armstrong.

"We're proud to enter into this relationship with Minor League Baseball, a leading sports property," commented Doron Gorshein, COO of Sinclair Networks Group, in a release from MiLB. "This initiative extends our sports brand, deepens our connection to our communities, and enhances localism. We're pleased to enter into this relationship. This agreement makes our offering more robust and helps take ASN to the next level."

American Sports Network broadcasts are available across the county on their various local and regional affiliates. To find a channel listing by ZIP code, go to http://americansportsnet.com/schedule/.

The 2015 season marks the 17th season for the Pelicans franchise and first as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For tickets for the game on June 7 or any other in the Pelicans 2015 regular season, please call (843) 918-6000, email [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.

About the Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park has ranked in the top four in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last four seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last four years and the best in the Carolina League for four straight seasons as well. The Pelicans earned co-Mills Cup championship honors in their inaugural 1999 season, won the outright title in 2000, and has made eight postseason appearances behind ten half-season Southern Division championships, including both halves in 2014, as well as four Southern Division titles, most recently this past season. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact Nathan Barnett by calling (843) 918-6080 or emailing [email protected] or Mason Robinson at [email protected].

 

About Minor League Baseball

Minor League Baseball, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball clubs through their farm systems. Fans are coming out in unprecedented numbers to this one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Minor League Baseball ballparks. In 2014, Minor League Baseball attracted 42.4 million fans to its ballparks to see the future stars of the sport hone their skills. From the electricity in the stands to the excitement on the field, Minor League Baseball has provided affordable family-friendly entertainment to people of all ages since its founding in 1901. For more information about Minor League Baseball, visit www.MiLB.com.

About American Sports Network (ASN)

American Sports Network is a programming initiative of Sinclair Networks Group, LLC, a division of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. ASN has produced over 250 college sports games during the 2014-2015 academic year featuring distinguished NCAA Division I conferences including the Atlantic 10 Conference, Big South Conference, Big 10 Conference, the Colonial Athletic Association, Conference USA, Horizon League, Ivy League, Ohio Valley Conference, the Patriot League, Southern Conference, and the Western Athletic Conference. In addition to its college initiative, ASN produces local high school sports under the "Thursday Night Lights" and "Friday Night Rivals" brands. Visit ASN's website www.americansportsnet.com.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country. Sinclair owns and operates, programs or provides sales services to 161 television stations in 79 markets. Sinclair Networks Group, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. For more information on Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., visit www.sbgi.net.

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