Homestand Preview: May 7-19
COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies come home for their longest homestand of the season starting tomorrow with a six-game set against the Salem Red Sox. The club will have an off day May 13 and then they’ll play seven games against the Charleston RiverDogs, making up one game from their
COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies come home for their longest homestand of the season starting tomorrow with a six-game set against the Salem Red Sox. The club will have an off day May 13 and then they’ll play seven games against the Charleston RiverDogs, making up one game from their last road trip in April. The Salem Red Sox are a 12-15 heading into the series and Charleston is currently sitting at (11-14) prior to the start of Columbia’s homestand.
Ticket Links and Game Times:
**Tuesday, May 7: Fireflies vs Red Sox: 7:05 pm
Wednesday, May 8: Fireflies vs Red Sox: 7:05 pm
Thursday, May 9: Fireflies vs Red Sox: 7:05 pm
Friday, May 10: Fireflies vs Red Sox: 7:05 pm
Saturday, May 11: Fireflies vs Red Sox: 6:05 pm
Sunday, May 12: Fireflies vs Red Sox: 5:05 pm
Tuesday, May 14: Fireflies vs RiverDogs: 7:05 pm
Wednesday, May 15: Fireflies vs RiverDogs: 12:05 pm
Thursday, May 16: Fireflies vs RiverDogs: 7:05 pm
Friday, May 17: Fireflies vs RiverDogs: 7:05 pm
Saturday, May 18: Fireflies vs RiverDogs: 6:05 pm
Sunday, May 19: Fireflies vs RiverDogs: 5:05 pm**
Pink Night on a Miller Lite $2 Tuesday: We’re kicking off this homestand honoring eight local Breast Cancer Warriors throughout our game with the Salem Red Sox. We will have eight warriors of the inning and the players will be wearing pink jerseys that’ll be auctioned off post-game to help benefit Breast Cancer Research. In addition to that, we will have our Miller Lite $2 Tuesday specials. Fans can purchase hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite for just $2 at concessions stands.
MiLB Hope At-Bat on a Trash the Poop Dog Days of Summer: We’re continuing the fundraising for Breast Cancer Research. For each strikeout, tonight at Segra Park, we’re donating $10 to the American Cancer Society to help strike out breast cancer! We’ll also have a wall of hope, featuring local cancer survivors at the ballpark. Finally, you can bring your dog to the game too, thanks to Trash the Poop for our second dog day of the 2024 season.
WIS Presents Human Cannonball Night on a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday: It’s WIS Night, and you can meet your favorite news team in the Midlands. WIS will be live on site, recording throughout the day to keep you up to date on our third-annual Human Cannonball night. We’ll shoot David The Bullet Smith Jr. out of a cannon across the field after the game. If that weren’t enough, we’ll also have our Budweiser Thirsty Thursday specials where fans can enjoy $1 fountain sodas, $2 domestic drafts and $3 craft drafts and house cocktails during the game.
Frank Mozzicato Bobblehead Giveaway Presented by Velocity Clinical Research: Today we’re celebrating the highest-drafted player in Columbia Fireflies history. Southpaw Frank Mozzicato was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft by the Kansas City Royals before setting the Fireflies all-time strikeout record. Today, the first 1,000 fans through the gates at Segra Park will receive a Frank Mozzicato bobblehead thanks to Velocity Clinal Research. The game starts at 7:05 and the gates open at 6, so you’ll want to get to Segra Park early so you can secure your piece of Fireflies history!
Star Wars Night Presented by Founders FCU: A short time from now, in a ballpark in your neighborhood, we’re celebrating Star Wars in the Midlands! Come out to Segra Park and secure your chance to have pre-game Jedi Training with the purchase of a game day fan experience package from 5-5:45 on the Crescent patio and see Star Wars costumers in attendance during the game! The players will be wearing special Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vadar jerseys that are available for auction that will be exchanged on the field following and we’ll close out the game with a dazzling fireworks display to celebrate balance among the force.
Mother’s Day at Segra Park: Bring your favorite person to the Fireflies game and celebrate a day that’s all about our moms. We’ll start things off by hosting pre-game catch on the field for moms and their kids from 4-4:30 pm. We’ll recognize eight stellar moms during the game and every mom will get a free Mom Water canned cocktail and have a chance to win in-game giveaways. This night will also be the last night to bid on our pink jersey auction, benefitting breast cancer research.
The Arts Night with Karaoke: We’re celebrating a vibrant part of Columbia’s culture by welcoming local artists including painters, sculptors and writers. We’ll have hat decorating on the Crescent Patio, a pottery instructor teaching how to make your very own pottery and a What is Art? Wall no the concourse. If that weren’t enough, we’ll also be celebrating a Miller Lite $2 Tuesday where fans can purchase hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite for just $2.
Senior Citizens Day Presented by WellCare: Set that alarm early for day baseball at Segra Park. The Fireflies are facing the Charleston RiverDogs at 12:05 pm for Senior Citizens Day at the ballpark. After the game, those 55 and up can have a post-game stroll around the bases to celebrate!
Halfway to Halloween: For Budweiser Thirsty Thursday, we’re presenting you with terrifyingly good drink specials. You can grab $1 fountain sodas, $2 domestic drafts and $3 craft drafts and house cocktails as the Fireflies dress up as the Carolina Grits for a food fight with the Charleston Boiled Peanuts. Join in on the fun and bring a costume to the game!
Copa De La Diversion Weekend Presented by Southern Recipe Small Batch Pork Rinds: It’s time for one of the best weekends of the season at Segra Park! Join the Fireflies as we celebrate Columbia’s LatinX community as the team becomes Los Chicharrones de Columbia for the weekend. Friday, we’ll have a Chicharrones Soccer Jersey Giveaway thanks to Southern Recipe Small Batch. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a soccer jersey. There’ll be a musical Latin Caravan on the concourse from 6:30-8 pm as we bring Latin Culture to the game in South Carolina. Saturday, we’ll blow things out of the water as everyone’s favorite dancing act, ZOOperstars! Comes to town. The Latin Musical Caravan will be back and we’ll blast off fireworks after the game presented by Southern Recipe Small Batch. The fun isn’t over just yet—Copa Weekend continues Sunday. We’ll host a pre-game player autograph session, we’ll have a musical Latin Caravan for a third-straight night and we’ll also have Sincopao Flamenco dancing on the main plaza at the start of the game! After the game, kids can run the bases thanks to Bang Back Pinball Lounge.
Scouting the Opponent
The Red Sox fourth-ranked prospect and crown jewel of the 2021 International Signing Class, Miguel Bleis is returning to the Carolina League for a second season. He’s hitting .224 with 10 RBI in his first 22 games this season. In a limited time, the team has also seen great success from shortstop Nazzan Zanetello, who’s hitting .412 with two round trippers in his first six contests in Salem. All-in-all the Red Sox have had trouble offensively this season. Their team batting average is .214, which is third-last in the circuit and they have just 11 homers on the season, which is tied for fourth-last in the Carolina League. On the bump, they’re middle of the pack with a 3.70 ERA and are characterized as a power vs power type of team. They’re second in the League with 290 punchouts, but they have also allowed the second-most homers in the Carolina League.
This will be the second time this season that Columbia meets the Charleston RiverDogs. After losing the first two games of the series, Columbia took the next three games and saw the final game of the series postponed and added to this week’s slate of contests. The RiverDogs will ride out the season however their pitching staff performs. Right now, they have the least strikeouts in the League and have a 3.89 ERA, which is 10th in the League. Offensively, the team is just above the Mendoza Line, with a .202 average and 11 round trippers. Columbia saw how good RiverDogs top prospect, Adrian Santana, can be when they faced him last. Santana is a defensive-minded speed first shortstop. He has since hit a rut and is hitting .195 with an incredible nine stolen bases in 19 games despite only having 15 hits this season. The Fireflies were the first team to score an earned run off Santiago Suarez, and he has continued to settle into a groove. After the righty’s first five starts, he has a 2.25 ERA in 24 innings with a matching 24 strikeouts to pair with a 0.88 WHIP.