After four days away from home, the Drive have returned to Downtown Greenville for their second seven-game homestand of the 2014 season.
Over the seven days, Greenville Drive fans will experience a wide variety of entertainment and themes that will satisfy people of all ages!
The homestand begins with a three-game series against the Asheville Tourists, a Colorado Rockies affiliate, onMonday, April 21st. First pitch is at 7:05 PM, and the Drive are teaming up with emediagroup, Caine Halter YMCA and Setup Events for the Spirit of Boston Run, a timed 5K to honor the city of Boston on the same day of the Boston Marathon. The run will begin at 5:30 PM at the Caine Halter YMCA, and runners will finish at home plate at Fluor Field, where they will be greeted by Drive players and coaches. All participants will receive a ticket to Monday’s game, and the top five male and female finishers will be recognized on the field during the game. Fans at the game will be able to purchase t-shirts with the Spirit of Boston logo for just $10. All funds raised from t-shirt sales will go towards the City of Greenville’s Youth Baseball program, which provides inner city children with an opportunity to play base ball.
Tuesday, April 22nd marks the return of Drive Reading All-Stars presented by Michelin to Fluor Field. The Drive are excited to celebrate the 2014 Reading All-Stars from Greenville County elementary schools and all Pickens County schools. The Drive’s seventh annual reading incentive program is designed to encourage learning and education success through reading, and the program reaches over 75,000 students year-round. To honor these Reading All-Stars for their hard work this school year, they will take part in a pre-game “Parade of Champions” around Fluor Field that celebrates their success in the program, and will be recognized with a Drive – Michelin Reading All-Star commemorative t-shirt. During the game, five schools with continued success in the program will be inducted into the inaugural Reading All-Star Hall of Fame, and top performers for the school year will be recognized. In addition, students will partici pate in the in-game entertainment, including a tug-of-war, shoe scramble, sack race and more! First pitch for the game is at 7:05.
The series with Asheville wraps up on Wednesday, April 23rd with a special game time of 4:05 for Spartanburg District 5 Rebel Nation Night. This will be the third year that the D5 Rebels have taken center stage at Fluor Field, with representatives from all 12 of the district’s schools taking part in the festivities which include a pre-game “Parade of Champions”. Throughout the game the D5 Teachers, Support Employees and Terrific Kids of the Year from each of the District’s schools will be recognized in the stands and on the DriveVision, with faculty, students and staff taking part in the on-field, between inning entertainment and contests. Rebel Nation Night doesn’t stop once the Drive game is over, however, as the Byrnes Rebels will take on the Wade Hampton Generals in a high school game following the conclusion of the Drive game. Byrnes and Wade Hampton are two of the top high school baseball programs in the state , so stick around after the Drive game, grab a hot dog and catch two more terrific baseball teams at Fluor Field!
Thursday, April 24th brings the Lexington Legends, a Kansas City Royals affiliate, into town, and the four-game series will kick off at 7:05. This marks the Drive’s second Dollar Drink Night of the 2014 season, which will feature $1 Pepsi products all across the stadium, and $1 PBR’s in the Southern Tide 500 Club, where fans can enjoy drinks, an all-new menu and entertainment in a comfortable, nautical-themed setting. Fans in the Southern Tide 500 Club will enjoy giveaways of Southern Tide items such as hats, koozies, croakies and more! The Drive will also recognize Furman University and their outstanding athletic programs on Thursday, with the football team receiving their Southern Conference championship rings, and Furman will hold many of the pregame honorary positions.
Fluor Field’s famous fireworks show returns on Friday, April 25th following the 7:05 game. The musical theme for both the game and the fireworks display is “70’s Night”, so come out and enjoy Drive baseball and fireworks while jamming out to all your favorite 70’s hits from Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, The Bee Gees, Stevie Wonder and many more!
Saturday, April 26th marks the first Craft Beer Saturday of the season in the Southern Tide 500 Club at Fluor Field from 6:00 until the beginning of the game at 7:05. For $30, fans 21 and older can purchase a package that include 10 flights of beer from RJ Rockers, food pairings that include sliders, jalapeno poppers and more, and a ticket toSaturday’s game. Fluor Field will also be home to Star Wars Night on Saturday, so may the force be with you! Fans will see Star Wars-related entertainment all night long, including music and movie clips from the films and trivia contests. In addition, use the force to find those Star Wars costumes from your closet and bring them to the game, as you can enter the Star Wars costume contest for a chance to win a great prize. Fans will also get the chance to participate in a Big Uniform Race with Star Wars costumes instead of baseball uniforms. Also, keep an eye out for some epic light saber battles in between innings!
The homestand concludes with a 4:05 game on Sunday, April 27th where the Drive will host their second annual Just Drive Celebration Game! With the support of Just Drive sponsors Michelin N.A., Verizon Wireless and Bradshaw Automotive Group, and the Greenville County School District, the program reaches out to all Greenville County high schools with students making the pledge to “Just Drive” and avoid unnecessary distractions like texting while driving. 1,800 new students made the pledge this school year, an increase of 22 percent from last year’s inaugural campaign! Each of these students will receive a complimentary ticket to the game with admittance to a VIP pregame picnic and party, with the chance to win prizes from presenting sponsors Verizon and Bradshaw Automotive Group. In addition, the Drive will host a special “Meet and Greet” dinner with Drive players and coaches in the Southern Tide 500 Club for the high school baseball teams who were part of the Just Drive High School Baseball Invitational that was rained out in March.
- First pitch at 7:05 PM; Gates open at 6 PM
- Michelin Reading All-Stars Celebration
- Inaugural Reading All-Stars Hall of Fame Class inducted
- Michelin Reading All-Stars Celebration
- First pitch at 4:05 PM; Gates open at 3 PM
- Spartanburg District 5 Rebel Nation Night
- Celebration of 12 District 5 schools
- Byrnes vs. Wade Hampton game to follow the Drive game
- Spartanburg District 5 Rebel Nation Night
- First pitch at 7:05 PM; Gates open at 6 PM
- Dollar Drink Night
- Furman University to be recognized
- First pitch at 7:05 PM; Gates open at 6 PM
- Friday Night Fireworks
- 70’s Night
- First pitch at 7:05 PM; Gates open at 6 PM
- Craft Beer Saturday
- Star Wars Night
- First pitch at 4:05 PM; Gates open at 3 PM
- “Just Drive” Celebration presented by Michelin NA
- Greenville County High School students recognized for taking the pledge to not drive distracted
- “Meet and Greet” Dinner following the game
- Southern Tide 500 Club; Drive players and coaches
- “Just Drive” Celebration presented by Michelin NA