Salem Red Sox Announce 2014 Schedule

SALEM, VA (October 2, 2013) - Three weeks after celebrating a Mills Cup Championship to cap off a historic baseball season in the Roanoke Valley, the Salem Red Sox are excited to share their 2014 schedule. The defending Carolina League champs will return to LewisGale Field and raise the 2013 Carolina League Championship banner prior to the home opener on Tuesday, April 8 against Winston-Salem. The 140-game slate includes 70 tilts at Salem Memorial Ballpark, with more than 60% of those contests scheduled for Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

One of the three commitments made towards the end of the 2013 season was a renewed commitment to listening to feedback from fans. A common concern voiced by many fans has been the challenges presented when Salem Sox home games conflict with other events such as the Salem Fair and the Roanoke Valley Horse Show. Therefore, the Salem Sox made a concerted effort to work collaboratively with the Carolina League office to attempt to minimize these conflicts with additional events.

"We are very pleased with our 2014 schedule, as we have been able to minimize conflicting dates with other events," said Salem General Manager Ryan Shelton. "As a result we will not have any home dates during the Horse Show, no weekend conflicts with the annual Salem Fair, and no conflict with the Blue Ridge Music Festival. These conflicts have presented some logistical challenges to us in prior years, and we thank our loyal fans for encouraging us to make a greater effort to reduce these conflicts moving forward."

The Red Sox will be at home every other weekend in April, May, and June, and LewisGale Field will host weekend series five times during a six-week stretch in July and August. The schedule also includes games on Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Memorial Day.

Certainly, Salem's unprecedented success at the end of the 2013 season should help the Sox carry momentum into next spring. The Red Sox ran off 11 straight wins to finish the '13 campaign, including a perfect 5-0 record in the postseason en route to Salem's first championship in 12 years. Incredibly, the club went 30-8 in its last 38 games, with a 16-4 mark in the final 20 contests at LewisGale Field!

There are currently nine members of the AL East champion Boston Red Sox who played in Salem since 2009, with four players (Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, Jr., Drake Britton, and Brandon Workman) jumping from Salem in 2012 to Boston in 2013. Overall, 24 members of the Salem Red Sox have made the major leagues since the Red Sox affiliation began in '09, with many others poised to surge onto the big-league stage next year.

Specifics regarding game times and promotions will be released later in the offseason, but 2014 season tickets are on sale now. For the first time ever, the Red Sox are offering three package types and a seven-month payment plan to make seats more accessible to fans. For more information or to schedule an offseason seat-viewing at the ballpark, please call (540) 389-3333.

CONTACT:

Ryan Shelton, General Manager, [email protected]

Evan Lepler, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations, [email protected]

Fenway Sports Management, Tim Zue, [email protected]