Crawdads to Celebrate Historic 2,500th Game on April 8

Hickory, NC - As they enter their 19th season in 2011, the Hickory Crawdads, South Atlantic League affiliate of the Texas Rangers, are approaching yet another all-time milestone - the 2,500th game in Crawdads history! Game number 2,500 is scheduled to be the Crawdads Grand Opening Fireworks Extravaganza, presented by Crowne Plaza, Mister Tuxedo, and the Big Dawg 92.1 FM, on Fri., April 8 against the Asheville Tourists. First Pitch is 7 p.m., gates open at 6 p.m.

To celebrate this historic milestone, the Crawdads have come up with 25 ways for fans to win admission to an exclusive picnic at the ballpark with the chance to take batting practice on the field! Also, the 2,500th person through the gates on Friday will get to throw out the first pitch and enjoy a free luxury suite during the Crawdads 25th game this season on May 25 against the Charleston RiverDogs.

All you have to do is be the first fan to complete any one of the following challenges, and you'll even get to bring a guest to the picnic and BP! Proof of completion must be presented to a Crawdads staff member at the Front Office or Crouse Chiropractic Customer Care Booth at any time between now and the 5th inning of the 2,500th game on April 8. The Front Office is open from 9-5 p.m., Monday-Friday on non-game days.

25 Ways to Win!

1 - 1 Ticket stub from the 1993 season

2 - 2 Newspaper clippings from the Crawdads 2002 & 2004 SAL Championships (1 from each championship)

3 - 3 Ticket stubs from the Crawdads 3rd all-time no-hitter on April 11, 2009, against the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

4 - 4 Crawdads hats

5 - 5 Souvenir Crawdads baseballs

6 - 6 Bobbleheads (any team, any sport)

7 - 7 Mini-bats (any team)

8 - 8 Claw Club badges (from any year)

9 - 9 Baseball pennants (any team)

10 - 10 Baseball hats (any team)

11 - 11 Crawdads t-shirts (any year)

12 - 12 Baseballs (any)

13 - 13 Pictures of black cats (we're superstitious!)

14 - 14 Items from Crawdads Corporate Partners (click here for list - items can include business card, brochure, receipt, photo...)

15 - 15 Pictures of Conrad (any year, any location)

16 - 16 Cans for the Strikeout Hunger campaign in honor of Jason Lakman's record 16 strikeouts against the Augusta GreenJackets on July 31st, 1997

17 - 17 Seconds of video of you chanting Let's Go Crawdads!

18 - 18 Crawdads Schedules (any combination of pocket, magnet, and poster schedules from any year)

19 - 19 Crawdads Souvenir programs (one from each season)

20 - 20 Crawdads giveaway items (from any year)

21 - 21 Mutual friends with Conrad on Facebook (print screen shot for proof)

22 - 22 Crawdads Baseball Cards (any year)

23 - 23 Pins/buttons (any baseball team)

24 - 24 Crawdads autographs in honor of Jeff Inglin's record hitting streak of 24 games from May-June in 1997.

25 - 25 Crawdads ticket stubs (any year)

For more information on the 25 challenges, call the Front Office at (828) 322-3000 or go to HickoryCrawdads.com