Chiefs vs. Bandits in Rivertown Showdown
The first series matchup in the Rivertown Showdown comes in Peoria as the Chiefs host the River Bandits in the home opening series at Peoria Chiefs Stadium April 9-11. Tickets for all three games will be $3.50 for Club Box Seats and $2.50 for Hy-Vee Hills Lawn Seats as part of a Throwback homestand to 1983, the Chiefs first season. The Chiefs players will also wear 1983 Peoria Suns jerseys during the series to kick off season-long 30th Anniversary Celebrations. The final game of the series on April 11 will be the first $1.00 Wednesday of the season with $1.00 hot dogs, sodas and ice cream sandwiches. Tickets are available by calling 309-680-4008, toll free at 1-888-MYTICKET or online at peoriachiefs.com. The Chiefs travel to Davenport for the first time May 5-8 for a four-game series
The River Bandits start the second half of the season in Peoria as well as the Chiefs host a three-game series June 22-24. That weekend will also be the 30th Anniversary Celebration weekend for the Chiefs. The weekend features a Cubs/Cards rivalry night on Friday, June 22 with a Mark Grace jersey t-shirt for Cubs fans and a Yadier Molina jersey t-shirt giveaway for Cardinals fans. The World Famous Chicken will also perform throughout the game and the Budweiser Clydesdales will also make an appearance.
On Saturday, June 23 fans will get a spectacular post-game Fireworks show and a post-game concert by Christian artist Josh Wilson. On Sunday, June 24 as the series ends, kids 12 and under get $2 tickets and can go on the field post-game to collect candy dropped from a helicopter. The first 1,000 kids 10 and under on June 24 will get a Peoria Chiefs Build-A-Bear as a giveaway presented by CIAN.
The two teams play for the final time in the 2012 season from July 31- August 3 in Davenport. Eight of the 14 matchups are in Iowa on the banks of the Mississippi River at Modern Woodman Park while the other six are at Peoria Chiefs Stadium, just a few blocks off the Illinois River. Last year the River Bandits won the season series between the two teams 13-4 en route to the 2011 MWL Championship. The Chiefs last won the season series between the two teams in 2009 when they took 14 of 20 matchups. Since the affiliation changes in 2005 that landed the Cubs in Peoria and the Cardinals in Quad Cities, the River Bandits lead the series between the two teams 58-46. The Chiefs held a 36-34 advantage before the 2010 season but Quad Cities has won 24 of 34 matchups the last two seasons.