Contributed by Brittany Buzzutto.

Buy us some peanuts and cracker jacks because the Louisville Bats season starts tomorrow, April 5, against the St. Paul Saints at Slugger Field.

The Louisville Bats are a Triple-A affiliate — aka a minor league baseball team — for the Cincinnati Reds, but they were originally founded as the Louisville Redbirds in 1982 as a minor league team for the St. Louis Cardinals.

They played at Cardinal Stadium from 1982 to 1999 until they rebranded as the Louisville RiverBats in 1999 — which was shortened to the Bats in 2002. It wasn’t until 2000 that the team started playing in the newly-built Slugger Field.

Speaking of Slugger Field, the baseball stadium underwent renovations in 2020 and showcased some of its new features last season. In case you missed them, here are some of the renovations made to the ballpark:

Miller Time Taphouse. This standing room-only section allows fans to enjoy the new bar and social area while they watch the game.
On Deck Club. Located behind the home plate, this luxury seating area includes padded theater seats and an unbeatable view.
Extended Netting. No need to worry about getting hit by a foul ball anymore, the Bats have extended the netting to protect fans.
Kids & Family Area. Coming soon will be a four-tiered lawn seating area + new playground equipment for the kids.

Home runs and strikeouts not your thing? Check out these promotional nights happening at Slugger Field throughout the season:

$5 Wine Slushy Wednesdays | Get a wine slushy at any game that falls on a Wednesday.
Tuesday $1 Menu Nights | Snag discount menu items every Tuesday night game.
Sunday’s Kids Run the Bases | Unleash the children onto the field + get a free kids meal on Sundays.
Thunder at Slugger | Enjoy the Thunder festivities at the ballpark (April 23).

Tickets are as low as $9 this season + can be purchased here.

Bonus: Atrium Brewing’s Bat Boy 2.0, a pink lemonade sour beer in collaboration with the Bats, will be available this season at Slugger Field.