Sports
Gaithersburg Giants Set To Open Criswell Automotive Field at Kelley Park
Team debuts in Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League Thursday; home opener Friday.
A new local partnership will help kick off the Gaithersburg Giants' debut season in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, a wood bat league featuring college players from across the country.
After its season opener Thursday night in Silver Spring, the Giants return to Gaithersburg Friday to play their first home game on the newly-named Criswell Automotive Field at Kelley Park.
"This is a six-figure sponsorship deal for 5-year naming rights, and some substantial improvements have been made to the field, even in the last few weeks," Gaithersburg City Manager Tony Tomasello said at Monday's Mayor and City Council meeting.
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Field improvements include new backstops, dugouts and bullpens, new safety netting, and heightened outfield fencing, according to the Giants' website.
“We are especially pleased that a partnership with the Gaithersburg Sports Association and Criswell Automotive has allowed us to make enhancements to Kelley Park that will not only benefit the Gaithersburg Giants, but the entire community,” Mayor Sidney A. Katz said in a statement.
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Tomasello said he hopes the league—comprising 12 teams in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan region—will have a small impact on the local economy when teams travel to Gaithersburg.
Katz will throw the ceremonial first pitch at Friday's home opener.
If you go:
- What: Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League: Baltimore Presstman Cardinals at Gaithersburg Giants.
- When: 6 p.m. Friday.
- Where: Criswell Automotive Field at Kelley Park, 400 Victory Farm Drive, Gaithersburg.
The Giants' full 44 game schedule is available on the team's website.
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