As Blue Wahoos Ready For Opener, Stadium Has Stayed Busy As Event Host 

A new season awaits Friday with the Blue Wahoos.

But the ballpark itself? It has stayed busy. In fact, when March ended on Monday, it completed a record month for stadium events. Within the 31-day period, the stadium held 24 different events. In one case, there were three different events on the same day.

The events ranged from the 10-day Studer’s Blue Wahoos Challenge collegiate baseball event, featuring Wisconsin-Whitewater and eight other NCAA Division III teams competing in sets of games --- as many as four per-day – all the way to a lower scale of two separate, private birthday parties, hosted by parents of young boys.

The month concluded with the third annual Intrepid Care Celebrities vs. Veterans Charity Softball, which was held Saturday before the rainy weather followed the next two days.

This event featured three games and included professional slow-pitch softball players in the final showcase game.

“Some of these guys get six figures to travel around and play softball,” said event organizer Ron Mann, who played in the first game featuring 50-older members of an league in Pensacola that plays at Exchange Park. The event at the stadium featured mostly retired and active members of all branches of the military.

“This is really fun and it’s very special to play here (at Blue Wahoos Stadium),” said Mann, a U.S. Air Force veteran. “The guys love this. We had guys come here from Miami and Orlando to be part of this. We had a guy drive from North Carolina, and another flew here from either Colorado or Wyoming.

“So word gets out and these guys want to be part of it.”

Mann got the idea when living outside of Pensacola and participating in a similar type of event in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He said word has spread to the point where the Biloxi Shuckers, the team opening the season Friday against the Blue Wahoos, has contacted Mann about trying to do a similar event for their military connections on the Mississippi coast.

“It has absolutely blown me away how much support we have gotten,” he said. “And just people have found out about it.”

That’s exactly how the Blue Wahoos have been able to bolster their events lineup this year. There have been large-scale and small-scale events since January.

March featured the first “Wine on the Water” event that included a croquet tournament in right field, using special equipment for synthetic grass. The event had 49 different vending booths and wine-tasting areas set up across the stadium and the field area.

There was also an annual gala, Light Up Learning, that included a four course meal prepared by the Blue Wahoos food and beverage team and people situated on the infield for a dinner-charity auction.

There were also two high school baseball games in March featuring Pensacola area teams, along with the University of West Florida playing a mid-week game at the ballpark.

“We had a few new events… but I think the big thing is word has gotten around and we have a great team to making things happen here,” said Shannon Hannah, the Blue Wahoos events manager.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Blue Wahoos 2025 Opening Weekend

WHO: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Blue Wahoos

WHEN: Friday Through Sunday, Game times are 6:05 Friday-Saturday, 1:05 p.m. on Sunday.

TICKETS: Friday’s game only has standing room tickets, but seats are available for Saturday-Sunday games.

PROMOTIONS: Friday is a Trucker Hat Giveaway sponsored by LandrumHR, Saturday is the first post-game fireworks show of the season, Sunday is Family Sunday with children able to run the bases following the game, along with families able to toss soft baseballs in the outfield.

INFO: www.bluewahoos.com