Wichita Wind Surge to Throw Opening Pitch on May 11

Affiliated baseball is coming to Wichita next month. No kidding, it really is this time!

There’s a long history of minor league baseball in Wichita, though it’s been more than a decade since affiliated baseball has been played in the city. Opening day for the Wichita Wind Surge at Wichita's recently-constructed $75 million Riverfront Stadium is set for May 11.

Wichita will be the Double-A club for the American League's Minnesota Twins and will play host to the Amarillo Sod Poodles that night as part of the team's first season in Wichita, delayed a year by the pandemic. The very first pitch in the stadium will happen this month when the Wichita State Shockers take on the Houston Cougars on April 10.

The stadium in downtown Wichita is a multi-purpose venue that also will host other public and private events. Officials say there could be as many as 100 additional events each year beyond the baseball games. They’ve hinted at football games, an outdoor hockey game featuring the Wichita Thunder minor league hockey team, an outdoor skating rink, movie screenings, concerts and festivals. The stadium has unique indoor-outdoor meeting spaces that also will attract private events ranging from corporate gatherings to weddings.

The 2021 baseball season has been amended to meet pandemic restrictions and precautions. The Surge will play a 120-game schedule from May through September with two six-game homestands each month. Games are played Tuesday through Sunday: 7:05 p.m. first pitch Monday-Friday, 6:05 p.m. on Saturday and 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. Gates open 90 minutes before first pitch. Find the full schedule here.