River Bandits announce 2014 regular season schedule

The 2013 Midwest League Champion Quad Cities River Bandits will open defense of their title on the same field where they won it all, as Modern Woodmen Park will host the 2014 home opener Thursday, April 3, against the Kane County Cougars. The team announced on Thursday its 140-game schedule, including 70 home dates and times, for the 2014 season.

The Class-A affiliate of the Houston Astros will play a four-game Opening Weekend series April 3-6 at Modern Woodmen Park, voted the Best Minor League Ballpark in a nationwide vote at 10Best.com and USA TODAY. The very next weekend, the ballpark will host the second annual Bandits Race to Home 5K and Kids Fun Run presented by Palmer Chiropractic Clinics to benefit the Bandit Scholars Program at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 12. The River Bandits will go on to play a home game on 13 weekends throughout the season.

"After two championships in three years, our fans can look forward to another season of first-rate baseball and affordable, family-friendly entertainment," said team co-owner Dave Heller. "With the Ferris Wheel opening in May and new improvements throughout the ballpark, exciting new promotions, great entertainment and must-see attractions, we are determined to make 2014 the best year ever at the Best Minor League Ballpark in the country!"

The River Bandits will play weekday home games at 7:00 p.m., with the exception of 11:00 a.m. start times on three Tuesdays - April 29, May 6 and May 20. This season, all Saturday home games will start at 6:00 p.m. instead of the usual 7:00 p.m. start so younger fans can enjoy every minute of the action. Sunday home games will start at 1:15 p.m. the first half of the season (April 6, June 8 and June 15), and at the end of the season (Aug. 17 and Aug. 24). Sunday games will start at 5:00 p.m. June 22, July 6, July 20 and Aug. 10.

The River Bandits will play a home game on 13 weekends throughout the season, including the Fourth of July weekend, Friday, July 4, through Sunday, July 6, as well as Memorial Day weekend games Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24. The team is home for Mother's Day weekend games Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10, and a three-day Father's Day weekend series Friday, June 13, through Sunday, June 15. The River Bandits play their regular season home finale Friday, Aug. 29, of Labor Day weekend.

The River Bandits have eight different homestands of six games or more, including two season-long seven-game homestands; one comes Aug. 4-10 and the other June 13-22, sandwiched around the three-day break for the Midwest League All-Star Game, set for Tuesday, June 17, in Comstock Park, Mich. A season-long 10-game road stretch takes place June 24-July 3.

Quad Cities will have a rematch of the 2013 Midwest League Championship Series against the South Bend Silver Hawks April 17-19 at Modern Woodmen Park. Other Eastern Division teams making visits to Modern Woodmen Park include the West Michigan Whitecaps (April 14-16), the Fort Wayne TinCaps (July 16-18) and the Lake County Captains (July 19-21). Every Western Division team will play at least six games at Modern Woodmen Park in 2014.

A full schedule of home and road games for 2014 is available at www.riverbandits.com. Ticket plans for the 2014 season are now on sale.

UP NEXT: Now is the time to lock in your season ticket plan for the 2014 season! Call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000 or visit www.riverbandits.com to download the season ticket order form. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 112 feet over the playing field, is planned for next spring, along with a carousel and other new games and attractions. This season, the team unveiled a new 300-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. The team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, just saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championships.