Baseball’s back: Whitecaps have opener at LMCU Ballpark
PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The West Michigan Whitecaps will play their home opening game at LMCU Ballpark on Tuesday.
The Whitecaps are scheduled to take the field at 6:35 p.m. against the Quad Cities River Bandits. The weather will cooperate, says Storm Team 8, with partly cloudy skies through the evening and temperatures in the low 60s.
It’s Tony Cappuccilli first home game as the team’s manager.
“(I’m looking forward to) just being here, being in front of our fans, getting a home game,” he said. “It’s good to get three games under our belt already, but we’re excited to be back home.”
The Whitecaps are off to a pretty good start, with a 2-1 record after the first three.
“We were pretty happy with the way we pitched. We struck out a whole bunch of guys the first three games. So hopefully we can continue doing that, throwing strikes. We’ve got to do a little better job of scoring when we have opportunities to. But so far, we’re excited with what we’ve seen,” Cappuccilli said.
Whitecaps prepare for home opener amid expansion
Fans will see construction work underway during the home opener. LMCU Ballpark is undergoing an expansion of approximately 30,000 square feet.
The expansion includes a new clubhouse, batting tunnel, weight room, suites and renovated locker rooms. If fans are worried about crews getting in the way, there is no need to.
“We have the construction areas just fenced off on that third base side. But fans will be able to come in like they normally have over the course of the years,” said Jim Jarecki, Whitecaps vice president and general manager. “The exciting thing is that they’re going to be able to see the progress that happens throughout the course of the season. But … we’re ready to go for opening night tonight and we’ve got the entire season to look forward to.”
The work is expected to be completed at the end of the season in September.
Cappuccilli looks forward to opportunity with West Michigan Whitecaps
Jarecki also touted new food at the ballpark:
“We’re all about the food,” he said. “And Tony Cappuccilli, our new manager, little did he know, he’s going to have a sandwich named after him: Tony Cap’s big beef, which is Italian beef. And for those Chicago fans of mine, this is the Italian beef that’s going to get as close as it can be.”
There will also be fireworks after the home opener and various promotions throughout the season.
“It’s an experience… We want to be the beacon of the community for West Michigan and I think we’ve really achieved that. When we look around and you see two, three, four generations of fans right now, memories are being made here every single day, whether on the field or in the stands,” Jarecki, who has been with the franchise since its beginning in 1994, said.
For more information on the schedule and tickets, visit the West Michigan Whitecaps website.
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