Nashville Sounds To Become Vihuelas De Nashville To Celebrate Latino Community This June

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The Nashville Sounds will be changing its name to Vihuelas de Nashville from June 24-26 to celebrate the culture and heritage of Music City’s Latino community.

This is part of a Minor League Baseball series called Copa de la Diversión which allows each minor league team to honor hispanic communities in their regions. The Hispanic fan engagement initiative was created in 2017.

Through the success of the Copa program, now in its fifth season, MiLB has solidified its commitment to the long-term growth of its U.S. Latino communities and its diversity and inclusion efforts across the country.

At the end of the season, MiLB’s Latino Leadership and Community Growth Council, comprised of industry experts and civic leaders, will recognize the top-performing teams in several categories, including ballpark experience, community engagement, and philanthropic impact. One team will be named the overall Copa de la Diversión champion with previous winners including the Mariachis de Nuevo México (2018, 2019) and the Wepas de Worcester (2021).

“The continued growth of the Copa de la Diversión initiative reinforces the importance of connecting with our Latino fans and the Latino community nationwide,” says Kurt Hunzeker, MLB’s Vice President of Minor League Business Operations. “Our teams continue to authentically connect with the Latino population in their communities, leading to a deeper and more meaningful fan experience.”

Vihuelas de Nashville was chosen as the Nashville Sounds’ name due to its musical connection. A vihuela is a classic Mexican guitar that can be heard in many traditional and pop Latin music. The lettering and details in the Vihuelas de Nashville logo are popular in Latin countries and mimic a style of woodcarving made famous in Mexico.

The Vihuelas de Nashville will debut new green jerseys at First Horizon Park on Saturday, June 25, and will also wear them on Sunday, June 26. They will also play as the Vihuelas in three road games this season: April 13 at Gwinnett, July 7 at Columbus and September 20 at Louisville.

As part of the Vihuelas’ Copa de la Diversión weekend, the team will be auctioning their game-worn jerseys on Friday, June 24. The auction will benefit Conexión Americas and will go from June 20-27. Fans can bid on the game-worn jerseys through the MiLB auction platform online.

New Vihuelas hats, jerseys, and merchandise will be available at the Sounds Pro Shop or online.

Vanderbilt & Belmont Baseball Game At First Horizon Park Moved Due To Weather

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Photo: Courtesy of the Nashville Sounds.

The Vanderbilt and Belmont baseball game, set for Tuesday, March 22, at First Tennessee Park, has been moved to 12 p.m. due to weather concern later in the day.

The game was originally going to start at 6 p.m. in front of local fans and students, but due to the short notice time change and staffing issues, the game will be played behind closed doors with no fans in attendance.

Any and all fans who still want to get a glimpse of the game live, can watch from Third and Home located at 919 3rd Ave. N.

Fans that purchased tickets online for the March 22 game will be automatically refunded within 48 hours. Fans that purchased tickets at the Nashville Sounds Ticket Office or via phone will be contacted by a Sounds ticket representative to either exchange their tickets for the March 29 Vanderbilt vs. Lipscomb game at First Horizon Park or receive a full refund.

The Commodores are currently 17-2 and ranked No. 4 nationally. They haven’t lost a game since their opening weekend when they dropped two wins to Oklahoma State.

Belmont is off to a great start with a record of 14-7. They start conference play against Murray State on April 1.

MLB Lockout Lookout: What Will The Nashville Sounds 2022 Season Look Like?

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First Horizon Park. Photo: Courtesy of the Sounds/Casey Gower

On Tuesday (March 1) MLB and the MLBPA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) drama came to a dramatic halt when a deal couldn’t be made after the 5 p.m. deadline made by MLB owners.

As a result, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the first two series of the Major League season would be canceled and not made-up.

Devastating to players and baseball fans around the country, there is no sign of when the players union and owners might come to an agreement, and the fears of more cancelled games has become a harsh reality.

In Nashville, though, the city’s MiLB club, the Nashville Sounds, are pushing full steam ahead for its 2022 season. Along with every other minor league club, their seasons will not be affected by the MLB lockout.

Though the MLBPA demands for the new CBA include better pay and rights for minor league players, the MiLB isn’t affected by the lockout as they are technically a separate entity.

However, there will be some changes to look out for.

Any member of a MLB team’s 40-man roster will not be playing minor league ball this season. In the past, the Sounds would have between five or 10 players on the Milwaukee Brewers 40-man roster playing in Nashville, ready to get called up at any time. Due to contractual differences between 40-man roster players and other minor leaguers, those players won’t be able to play during the lockout.

“Despite the impact of the work stoppage on Major League Baseball’s season, Minor League Baseball has a full season ahead, unaffected of the ongoing situation. We are full steam ahead for Opening Day at First Horizon Park on Tuesday, April 5,” a Nashville Sounds spokesperson tells The Sports Credential. “We’re excited to welcome our passionate fan base back to the ballpark and can’t wait to share memorable moments with them. During the work stoppage we will not have any players that are on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster, on our current roster. That is the only difference from a players standpoint.”

Over the past years, the Sounds have consistently pulled in the highest attendance in all of minor league baseball, pulling 436,868 fans in 2021. In 2019, the Sounds welcomed 578,291 fans to First Horizon Park–the fifth straight year of over 500,000 and the fourth time in the five-year existence of the park with over 550,000 fans.

This season, as COVID-19 case numbers continue to decrease and the club removes its mandates, the attendance will most likely sky-rocket with MLB on hiatus.

Nashville Sounds Single-Game Tickets Go On Sale Monday, March 7

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The Nashville Sounds single-game tickets for all 75 home games for the 2022 season at First Horizon Park will be available for purchase beginning Monday, March 7 at 10 a.m.

Notable home games during the 2022 season include Opening Day on Tuesday, April 5 against the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays affiliate); Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 8 against the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles affiliate); and Sunday, July 3 against the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate).

The Sounds will see three opponents visit First Horizon Park for the first time. The Durham Bulls from April 5-10, Norfolk Tides from May 3-8 and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins affiliate) from September 13-18. The Sounds will open up the season with six-straight games against the Bulls.

First Horizon Park and the Sounds will host 12 different homestands to fill the 75-game home slate. The longest homestand of the season is a 12-game, 13-day stretch from June 21–July 3 when the Sounds host the Gwinnett Stripers (Atlanta Braves affiliate) from June 21–26 and the Indianapolis Indians from June 28–July 3.

In addition to the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves, the Sounds will also host the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals in 2022.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.nashvillesounds.com/tickets, at the First Horizon Park Ticket Office or by calling 615-690-HITS ext. 2. The full promotion schedule for the 2022 season can be found at www.nashvillesounds.com/promotions.

Preview: Pitching At The Forefront Of Vanderbilt’s 2022 Season

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Nick Maldonado - Vandy

Nick Maldonado. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

The Vanderbilt baseball team is set to begin their 2022 season on Friday, Feb. 18, when they face Oklahoma State in a three-game series at Hawkins Field.

Vandy is heading into the season ranked No. 3 in DI Baseball’s top 25 and will once again be led by coach Tim Corbin, who in his tenure has built Vanderbilt’s program into one of the best baseball programs in the nation.

The Commodores have four players in DI Baseball’s 2022 Top 100 MLB Draft Prospects: Carter Young (No. 25), Spencer Jones (No. 60), Dominic Keegan (No. 66) and Nick Maldonado (No. 74).

After last year’s huge pitching performances from Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, Maldonado will continue the pitching excellence as he has been named the Opening Day starter.

Maldonado, a junior, finished last season with a 2.31 ERA with 59 strikeouts over 50 2/3 innings. He has been named to three All-American teams and also recorded nine saves out of the bullpen in 2021.

Along with Maldonado, freshman Carter Holton is prepped for a huge season with the Vandy Boys. Holton, a Georgia native, comes to town as the nation’s top-ranked left-hander overall prospect, according to Perfect Game. He was drafted by Milwaukee in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

At the plate, Young will be one of the keys for offensive success. The program’s top MLB prospect this year, Young had a batting average of .252 with 238 at-bats in 61 games played last season. He had 60 hits, 16 homeruns and 52 RBI’s along with a slugging percentage of .559.

The big batters returning to Vanderbilt this season will be senior Dominic Keegan and sophomore Enrique Bradfield Jr.

Keegan led the team in batting average (.345), RBI’s (57), and slugging (638). He finished second in homeruns with 15 and hits with 80.

Bradfield came up big time for the Commodores many times as a freshman. Last season, he earned a .336 batting average, led the team with 82 hits, had 38 RBI’s and led the team in runs with 60. These two guys will be extremely important for Vanderbilt’s success during SEC play, when the Commodores face some of the nation’s best pitching staffs.

Vanderbilt play their first nine games at home before heading to Hawaii for a six-game series. SEC play opens March 18 when the Commodores take on Missouri. The team will also face local rivals Belmont and Lipscomb in the Nashville College Baseball Series hosted at First Horizon Park.

The Commodores will also host major series against Tennessee, Florida and LSU. For more information about Vandy’s schedule and for tickets, head to the Vanderbilt Athletics website.

Braves Become First MLB Team To Join Metaverse With Digital Truist Park

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Braves celebrating its World Series win after Game 6 of the 2021 World Series. Photo: Courtesy of the Atlanta Braves

The reigning World Series Champions, the Atlanta Braves, are joining the metaverse with the creation of the Digital Truist Park, a photo-realistic digital twin of Truist Park.

The first-of-its-kind virtual platform, powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine technology, gives baseball fans the opportunity to experience Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta in an immersive, multiplayer environment streamed directly to their browsers.

With the launch of Digital Truist Park, the Braves become the first Major League Baseball team to join the metaverse.

“It’s exciting to create a new way for our fans to connect with our team and their favorite ballpark,” says Derek Schiller, Atlanta Braves President & CEO. “The digital version of Truist Park will offer limitless opportunities to create unique fan engagements in the metaverse and we are proud to be the first team to offer this immersive experience. We look forward to building enhancements along the way which will continue to showcase the innovation of the Braves brand in the digital world.”

The club’s entry into the metaverse gives fans the opportunity to connect with fans in a non-physical venue free of geographical constraints or capacity limitations. This new, untapped environment will become a new way for Braves fans to engage with the club and consume content.

Fans can learn more about the Digital Truist Park by heading to the Braves website.

Opportunities at the new Digital Truist Park include:

  • Creating and customizing avatars
  • Exploring exclusive areas of Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta, including the Braves Clubhouse, Monument Garden, and more
  • Enjoying exclusive content, performances, and meet-and-greets
  • Meeting and interacting with other Braves fans from around the world
  • Experiencing Braves’ history through interactive features
  • Celebrating the Braves 2021 World Series win
  • Playing games, finding ‘easter eggs,’ winning prizes and more

First Horizon Park To Host Vanderbilt, Belmont, Lipscomb In Nashville College Baseball Series

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First Horizon Park will host this spring’s Nashville College Baseball Series, presented by Gray Line Tennessee, featuring a two-game series with the Vanderbilt Commodores, Belmont Bruins and Lipscomb Bisons.

The No. 3 Commodores will play the Belmont Bruins in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, March 22 with Vandy serving as the home team. This will mark the fifth time the two teams will play at First Horizon Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

Vanderbilt will then square off against the Lipscomb Bisons on Tuesday, March 29 with Lipscomb serving as the home team. The 2022 matchup is the fourth between the two programs at the home of the Sounds. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

The Nashville College Baseball Series will offer several ticket promotions for college students, alumni groups and college baseball fans alike. Ticket options include Reserve Section tickets in sections 108-118 for $15 per ticket, while the remainder of the main concourse seating bowl in sections 101-107 and 119-121, plus the grass berm in left field, will be general admission seating for $8 per ticket. Sounds season ticket members will have the option to purchase a Reserve Section ticket for $8.

Student Ticket Promotion – $10

  • One General Admission ticket in the Vanderbilt Health Picnic Place / The Band Box.
  • One hot dog and one fountain soda.
  • Transportation courtesy Gray Line Tennessee from Vanderbilt University or Belmont University to and from First Horizon Park for the Tuesday, March 22 game only.

Hit City Hall Ticket Promotion for Alumni Groups – $40

  • One Corner Section ticket in sections 122-124.
  • All-you-can-eat buffet featuring burgers, hot dogs, chips, cookies, mac-n-cheese, coleslaw, water, soda and sweet tea in Hit City Hall

For more information about the games and ticket, visit the Nashville Sounds website.

Darius Rucker Drops Baseball Card, Partnering With Music City Baseball, The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

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Country music entertainer Darius Rucker has partnered with Music City Baseball (MCB) and the Negro Leagues Baseball Hall of Fame to launch his very own limited-time Topps Baseball Rookie Card.

Rucker, a huge baseball and sports fan, has been a member of Music City Baseball’s Music Industry Advisory Board for over a year.

“When I think of the Negro Leagues, I think of my dear friend, Charley Pride, and how he was breaking barriers in baseball before breaking them again in country music. His story inspires the change that sports and music aim to bring to the world. The same change that inspires me with the Nashville Stars bringing MLB to Music City, and bringing the Negro Leagues to the Major League field, once again,” shares Rucker. 

The creation and release of these baseball cards is one of Music City Baseball’s many contributions to the Negro Leagues Museum, including revenue sharing on all promotional items sold on their website.

If the group is awarded a Major League franchise, their name would be the Nashville Stars, which pays homage to one of the Negro Leagues teams who played in Nashville in the 1940’s.  The three-time Grammy Award winner joins other MCB Music Industry Advisors who’ve been featured on Topps baseball cards, including Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Mercy Me and Willie Jones, among others.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for us to partner with our advisors and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on these cards. It celebrates the past, present, and future of diversity in baseball,” says John Loar, Managing Director of Music City Baseball.

Rucker’s cards are available for purchase on the Topps website until Feb. 28, 2022.