Pictured: Star Wars Night 2016. Photo courtesy of the Bradenton Herald.

Minor League baseball is alive and well on the Gulf Coast, with the schedule of the Florida State League already in full swing. The Bradenton Marauders, the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, came home to Bradenton’s LECOM Park on Tuesday night after a two-week road trip. For the Marauders, who at 16-12 are second in the Florida State League West division, this return home could not have come at a more opportune time. As of Wednesday morning, the team is 5-5 in their last ten games and losers of their last three – the homestand will hopefully give them a chance to lick their wounds and continue the chase for the division title of which they are five games behind the Clearwater Threshers, the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

For baseball fans in the area, catching a Marauders game means more than just the chance to see some good baseball, it means laying eyes on players that might be stars of the future. The Bradenton Marauders are home to two of the Pittsburgh Pirates top 30 prospects: Thomas Harrington, a right-handed pitcher that was drafted 36th overall in 2022 out of Campbell University and 19-year old Shalin Polanco, an outfielder that was signed as an international free agent in 2021. Although Polanco has had a rough start to the season, Harrington has fared well, posting a 4-0 record with a 3.65 ERA in five starts.

This weekend’s homestand will also feature a number of promotional events, starting with Thirsty Thursday on Thursday night’s game against the Lakeland Flying Tigers, which will feature discounted alcohol prices for all fans 21 and over as well as $1 sodas. Friday’s event will be a Women in Sports Night that will include a pre-game panel of the important women that keep the Marauders’ organization running smoothly, and Saturday night is titled Star Wars Night in which the Marauders will take the field in Star Wars themed jerseys that will be available for auction after the game as well as a post-game fireworks display.

LECOM Park, 1611 9th St W, Bradenton.

Pictured: Star Wars Night 2016. Photo courtesy of the Bradenton Herald.

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