Shuckers Named Southern League Finalist for MiLB Together Award

BILOXI, MS – Minor League Baseball has announced that the Biloxi Shuckers have been named the Southern League Finalist for the 2026 MiLB Together Award, recognizing teams that demonstrate an outstanding, ongoing commitment to charitable service, support, and leadership within both their local community and the baseball industry. It marks the third consecutive year the Shuckers have been named the Southern League Finalist for the award. Winners will be announced during the 2026 MiLB Fall Business Summit, held in Louisville, Kentucky.

“It's an incredible honor to be named the MiLB Together Award Southern League Finalist for the third consecutive year,” Shuckers Community Development Manager David Blackwell said. “We make it a priority to raise the standard every year for the work that we do throughout the Gulf Coast. It's a privilege to represent our league amongst the other 120+ teams in Minor League Baseball. It's a goal of ours to win this award at some point; there are so many teams doing some incredible work for the people in their communities. We want to be in that conversation year in and year out, because that's what Minor League Baseball is all about. We strive to bring significant impact to the Gulf Coast and I'm thankful for the opportunities we have to do just that.”

Throughout the year, the Shuckers have poured countless hours into the Gulf Coast community, stretching from Mobile to New Orleans and north to Hattiesburg and Jackson. A summary of accomplishments are listed below;

• Shuckers staff has spent more than 1,400 hours volunteering for community service & charitable organizations. The Shuckers averaged more than 26 hours a week giving back to our Gulf Coast community.
• $130,000+ in financial & in-kind donations to more than 120 schools, charities, non-profits, & families in need. The bulk of which comes from the team’s Heart of a Shucker Community Fund.
• Keesler Air Force Base continues to be one of the strongest partnerships for the Shuckers. Throughout the season, the Shuckers provided more than 2,000 tickets & held several events here at Keesler Federal Park, supporting their squadrons, as well as participating in events on a monthly basis, giving back to those Airmen, families, & leadership.
• Partnered with Showtime Sports to host Showtime Sports Night in June. The Shuckers welcomed more than 4,000 young baseball and softball players from Louisiana to Alabama, honored at our stadium before the game. They also hosted several baseball/softball camps, having more than 200 attendees throughout the year.
• Raised more than $8,000 during one of the team’s jersey auctions for Gulfport High School's All in Global program. The program assists student-created & led projects with a community service purpose. The specific project the Shuckers are supporting: A group of GHS students build prosthetic legs for amputees in South American countries. They are working with the WAFF World Cup in November, not only building the prosthetics, but delivering & assisting in the fitting of them. The money raised will cover more than half of the cost it will take for them to complete this year’s project.
• Partnered with Ball Heating & Air to donate $50 per home run at home to two local non-profits, Community Action & CASA of South MS. Community Action of South Mississippi provides Head Start education, energy assistance, food resources, senior services, transportation, & tax preparation to families across Jackson, Harrison, & George counties. CASA recruits, trains & supports volunteers who advocate for children who have been abused or neglected to ensure that their best interest is preserved in court and in the community. Volunteers ensure that the child's needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system. With a contribution from the Shuckers Heart of a Shucker Fund, the total of each donation amounts to more than $5,000.
• Partnered with Kitaif Rodeos to present the MS Gulf Coast PRCA Pro Rodeo in April, supporting several local non-profits focused on special needs individuals. This year the Shuckers raised over $20,000 supporting those efforts.
• Partnered with Open Doors Homeless Coalition to help one of our gameday employees find a permanent residence after living behind a local restaurant for the past 3 years. Shuckers staff & several season ticket holders worked to help provide furniture, clothing, household items, etc. The Shuckers have even been able to help with some medical & healthcare issues.
• Earlier this season, the Special Olympics of MS had to be canceled due to the government shutdown & international conflicts. The games are annually held at Keesler Air Force Base. The Shuckers worked with Keesler Air Force Base to host those athletes and families at Special Olympics Night during one of our games. The Shuckers also provided financial support and assisted them in joining forces with the Louisiana games. They were able to hold their games with a week to spare in Hammond, LA. Several of the MS athletes qualified to participate in the national games in Minnesota.
• The Shuckers relationship with the Humane Society of South MS continues to thrive. Through our efforts this year, the Shuckers helped facilitate more than 20 adoptions.
• Worked with Coastal Contracting to create the Heart of a Shucker Row of Honor, hosting 4 VIPs at each home game this season, including a Make-A-Wish family at every Wednesday game. Pink Heart Funds was also a recipient of several games, allowing families battling cancer to attend games with a VIP experience.
• Participated in Stand Up 2 Cancer, along with Pink Heart Funds, St. Baldrick's Foundation, and SoSo Strong Foundation with "Fight Like A Shucker Night" on August 14. The Shuckers made a $7,000 donation to Pink Heart Funds after doing the same last season with St. Baldrick's and plan to do the same with SoSo Strong next season.
• Participated in Joe Torre Safe A Home Night with St. Stanislaus School and CASA of South Mississippi on August 15. More than $5,000 has been raised for CASA of SM, in part because of this effort.

ABOUT THE BILOXI SHUCKERS:

The Biloxi Shuckers are the Double-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Shuckers are members of the Southern League and play at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi, Mississippi. For more information, please visit biloxishuckers.com and follow us on Twitter @biloxishuckers and at facebook.com/biloxishuckers.

ABOUT SHUCKERS BASEBALL, LLC:

Shuckers Baseball, LLC is a MS entity owned and operated by John Tracy. Shuckers Baseball operates the Biloxi Shuckers baseball franchise, including operating Keesler Federal Park for Biloxi Shuckers minor league baseball games and other entertainment and recreational events.