CAPE COD, MA – The 2017 Cape Cod Baseball League season is ready to swing into action showcasing the best of the best in college baseball this summer.
A full slate of five games are scheduled for Opening Day on June 14 – a later start date than in previous years to better accommodate incoming players’ transition between the end of their college season and the start of the Cape League’s summer schedule.
The upcoming season will also feature the return of doubleheaders. Each team will play two double-headers – one home, one away – during the 44-game regular season. The double-headers will be played on the first two Sundays in June.
“Starting the season on June 14 will allow players more time to wrap up their college season and be ready to play when the season starts here,” said Cape Cod Baseball League Commissioner Paul Galop. “The doubleheaders are an added bonus for fans. This summer, fans will be able to spend an entire day watching the cream of the crop compete for a shot at making it to the Big Leagues.”
“Boston Red Sox Chris Sale, Mitch Moreland, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Tyler Thornburg all played in the Cape League. In last year’s World Series, we saw 13 former Cape Leaguers play starring roles. It will be exciting to try and guess which Cape League players of 2017 will be the superstars of tomorrow,” Galop added.
League officials are also beefing up this year’s All-Star festivities by hosting a Celebrity Softball Game in partnership with Spaulding Rehabilitation the night before the 2017 Friendly’s All-Star Game and Home Run Hitting Contest. The celebrity softball game will be at McKeon Field in Hyannis July 21, while the All-Star Game and Home Run Hitting Contest will be played July 22 at Clem Spillane Field in Wareham, home of the Wareham Gatemen. Rosters for the celebrity softball game will be announced this summer.
And for the fifth straight season, Fox College Sports (FCS) will telecast a Cape Cod Baseball League Game of the Week. Beginning July 4 with the Orleans Firebirds hosting the Chatham Anglers, FCS Atlantic and USA World Events will produce a live nine-game TV package, in cooperation with the CCBL, which includes eight mid-week regular season games and CCBL All-Star Game.
Also, for the eighth straight season, Sports Radio 96.3 WEEI Cape Cod will broadcast a Cape League Sunday Night Baseball Game of the Week, beginning with Orleans at Chatham, June 12 at 7 p.m.
For bonus coverage, along with being televised on Fox, the CCBL All-Star Game in Wareham will be broadcast on WCAI and the Cape and islands NPR stations (90.1, 91.1, 94.3 FM).
All Cape Cod Baseball League regular season and playoff games are web-cast by team internet broadcasters. To access team broadcasts, go to www.capecodbaseball.org
2017 CAPE LEAGUE TV GAMES OF THE WEEK
On Fox College Sports
Tue, July 4 Chatham at Orleans 7 pm
Wed, July 5 Harwich at Brewster 5 pm
Wed, July 12 Cotuit at Hyannis 6 pm
Thu, July 13 Bourne at YD 5 pm
Tue, July 18 YD at Harwich 6:30 pm
Wed, July 19 Wareham at Brewster 5 pm
Sat, July 22 CCBL All-Star Game at Wareham 6 pm
Tue, July 25 Bourne at Falmouth 6 pm
Wed, July 26 Orleans at Bourne 6 pm
*All 10 teams on at least once, nine teams host including Wareham in CCBL All-Star Game. Game will be broadcast live on Time Warner, Cox Cable, DirectTV and streamed live on Comcast
2017 CAPE LEAGUE RADIO GAME OF THE WEEK
On 96.3 WEEI Cape Cod
Sun, June 18 *YD at Bourne (BoSox @ Astros 2:10) 6:15 pm
Sun, June 25 *Chatham at Hyannis (BoSox vs. Angels 1:35) 5:30 pm
Sun, July 2 Chatham at Harwich (Bos Sox @ Toronto 1:07) 5:30 pm
Sun, July 9 Harwich at Cotuit (BoSox @ Tampa Bay 1:10 pm) 5 pm
Mon, July 10 Chatham at Wareham (no BoSox game) 6:30 pm
Sun, July 16 YD at Falmouth (BoSox vs. Yankees 8:05) 5:30 pm
Sun, July 23 Brewster at Hyannis (BoSox @ Anaheim 3:37) 6 pm
Sun, July 30 Wareham @ Orleans (BoSox vs. KC TBA) 5:30 pm
Sun, Aug. 6 CCBL Playoffs, Rnd 1, Gm 2 (BoSox vs. Chi 1:35) TBD
Sun, Aug. 13 **CCBL Championship, Gm 3 (BoSox vs. Yankees 1:05) TBD
*2nd game of CCBL doubleheader, starts half-hour following completion of 1st game
**Game 3 if necessary
