Omaha Selected for CBS Sports Network's MiLB Game of the Week on July 17

OMAHA, Neb. - On July 17, the Omaha Storm Chasers will host the New Orleans Zephyrs in the Minor League Baseball™ Game of the Week on CBS Sports Network at 8:05 p.m. CST. Omaha has been selected as one of 15 MiLB™ teams to host a nationally televised game this season as part of an agreement announced on May 1 between MiLB and CBS Sports Network. The game features the number retirement of Mike Jirschele, with the former Omaha manager in attendance.

"The National Champions will be on national television once again, and we are thrilled to showcase such a historic night for the Storm Chasers with the number retirement of our all-time great manager Mike Jirschele," said Martie Cordaro, President and General Manager of the Omaha Storm Chasers. "The Game of the Week on CBS Sports Network is a major milestone for Minor League Baseball as a whole, and we are extremely proud for Werner Park to be a part of it."

This is the first time in MiLB's 100 plus years of existence that multiple classifications of Minor League Baseball will be featured on a national TV broadcast. A total of 28 MiLB teams are being featured, as well as eight different leagues and more than 20 Major League Baseball affiliations.

"We look forward to exposing even more fans to the excitement of Minor League Baseball, from top prospects working their way up to the major leagues to the fun and engaging elements our fans enjoy at our ballparks," Minor League Baseball President & CEO Pat O'Conner said.

Dick Gabriel and Doug Flynn will anchor each week's matchup. Gabriel, a three-time Kentucky Sportscaster of the Year, will be joined by Flynn, a two-time World Series Champion with the Cincinnati Reds and Gold Glove winner with the New York Mets. Lauren Gardner will serve as roving reporter.

Additional promotions for the Thursday, July 17 game and gate time information will be announced in the near future.

"Since baseball began its first player draft in 1965, only 21 selections out of nearly 60,000 have advanced directly to Major League Baseball without first playing in Minor League Baseball," said Michael Hand, Chief Marketing Officer for Minor League Baseball and President, MiLB Enterprises. "By televising our games to a national audience, MiLB can feature the next generation of stars at all classifications as they travel The Road to the Show."

CBS Sports Network is available across the country to more than 99 million households through local cable, video and telco providers, and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, and to access the CBS Sports Network channel finder, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

About Minor League Baseball

Minor League Baseball, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball clubs through their farm systems. Fans are coming out in unprecedented numbers to this one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Minor League Baseball ballparks. In 2013, Minor League Baseball attracted more than 41 million fans to its ballparks to see the future stars of the sport hone their skills. From the electricity in the stands to the excitement on the field, Minor League Baseball has provided affordable family-friendly entertainment to people of all ages since its founding in 1901. For more information about Minor League Baseball, visit www.MiLB.com.