Strasburg Set to Make Metro Bank Park Debut April 16th

Harrisburg, PA - Stephen Strasburg, the overall number one pick in the 2009 MLB draft, is tentatively set to make his first appearance in a Senators uniform in Harrisburg on Friday, April 16th against the New Britain Rock Cats. According to the Washington Nationals website and ESPN.com, Nats General Manager Mike Rizzo was quoted as saying that Strasburg would make his first start in Altoona on Sunday, April 11th which means he'd start at the new Metro Bank Park five days later. If that schedule is followed, and barring any rainouts or other weather issues, he would make a second start at home on Wednesday, April 21st against the Reading Phillies.

Strasburg enters his professional baseball career as perhaps the most celebrated prospect in the history of the sport, and certainly in recent memory. He was the consensus top overall pick in the 2009 draft, after spending three years at San Diego State University. As a senior at SDSU, he finished 13-1 in 15 starts, with a 1.32 ERA and 195 strikeouts and just 19 walks. He is renowned for his ability to push 100 miles per hour with his fastball, but has been quoted as saying that his breaking ball is his best strikeout pitch.

Sales for his two prospective starts have been brisk, but tickets are still available for both the Friday, April 16th game against the New Britain RockCats, and the Wednesday, April 21st game against the Reading Phillies. Fans interested in purchasing tickets for either of these games, or any game this season, can purchase tickets by logging on to senatorsbaseball.com, or by calling the Sens at (717) 231-4444.

The 2010 home opener in newly renovated Metro Bank Park is Thursday, April 15th at 7:00pm against the New Britain Rock Cats (Twins). The new ballpark adds to a Harrisburg-Hershey minor league market that is ranked as the best in the country by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal.