NILES – Baseball fans making their way out to Niles this summer to catch a Mahoning Valley Scrappers game will notice a lot of changes, both on and off the field.

From the name of the stadium to the field itself to the team manager, there will be a newness to the Scrappers’ organization as they begin their 28th season of baseball in the Mahoning Valley.

The Scrappers open their 2026 campaign tonight when they host State College for the first of a three-game series. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

On Monday, the team and coaching staff were introduced to area fans at the annual Scrappers Meet the Team Night held at the Eastwood Mall.

“Opening day is like no other day on the schedule,” Scrappers general manager Heather Sahli said. “Our entire staff has worked so hard the entire offseason, literally since the day we got our 2026 schedule last October, preparing for this day.

“We spend all winter working to bring back fan-favorite promotions while coming up with new and unique additions to our promotional schedule. Things get extremely chaotic in the month leading up to opening day. This year, with so many changes, that’s been especially true.”

Sahli insists the hours of hard work are worth the effort.

“All of that work pays off when we open the gates for the first time, and you see the fans pour in,” Sahli said. “You see so many of the same faces who come back year after year, making so many summer memories. Opening day is like reconnecting with an extended family.”

Tonight’s festivities will feature a pre-game concert (The Suns of Beaches Band) and a post-game fireworks show. There will be a Margaritaville T-shirt giveaway to the first 1,000 adult fans who pass through the gates. Players will wear specialty Margaritaville jerseys which will be auctioned off after the game. Gates open tonight at 5:05 p.m.

The first visible change will be noticed as fans enter the stadium. The illuminated “Eastwood Field” sign which greeted fans since 2003 has been replaced with a “7 17 Credit Union Field” sign. In February, 7 17 Credit Union purchased the naming rights to the stadium.

Once inside the stadium, fans will notice another major change – this one to the field’s playing surface.

For the first time in franchise history, the Scrappers will play their home games on synthetic turf. During the offseason, the entire playing field was transformed from natural grass to turf.

The stadium itself will feature a newly-designed expanded party suite capable of hosting more than 50 guests. In addition to being available on game nights, the suite is available to host daytime business gatherings and other similar events.

A new grab-and-go concession stand located in the concourse will provide fans with an alternative when wishing to quickly purchase drinks and snacks.

Fans will notice a new addition to the Scrappers’ schedule this year, as the Aberdeen IronBirds join the MLB Draft League after having played in the South Atlantic League since 2021. The IronBirds swapped places with the Frederick Keys, a founding member of the Draft League which is now a part of the SAL.

The IronBirds aren’t completely unfamiliar with longtime Scrappers fans. They were a mainstay on the Scrappers’ schedule from 2002-19 when both franchises were members of the New York-Penn League.

The 2026 schedule also features new start times for seven home games. All Friday home games this season will begin at 7:17 p.m. The unique start time was used for 7 17 Credit Union Night in both 2024 and 2025. This year, 7 17 Credit Union Night will fall on a Friday (July 17), so the Scrappers decided to coordinate the schedule so that all Friday home games start in similar fashion.

This year 7 17 Credit Union Night will feature another first for Scrappers fans – a combined post-game fireworks and drone show.

“Our fireworks nights are always popular and we had our first-ever drone show last year and that was a huge hit,” Sahli said. “Combining fireworks and drones into a single show is not common around here at all, so we’re excited about this. It’s going to be a special night.”

In all, the Scrappers’ schedule includes nine fireworks shows (tonight, the Fourth of July and seven Friday games), seven Buck Nights ($1 tickets, soft drinks and hot dogs, $2 beers), four bobblehead nights and eight total giveaways.

Former Cleveland Indians All-Star Kenny Lofton will make an appearance on July 24.

Also new on the schedule is a three-game series against the Canada 18U National Team. The exhibition games (June 19-21) are part of the MLB Draft League International Series in which each team in the league will host a three-game series against teams from either Canada or Mexico.

The Scrappers will wear specialty themed jerseys nine times this year, including America 250 Night jerseys on July 4. All specialty jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit local charities.

The Scrappers will be guided by Raul Gonzalez, who will be making his managerial debut. Gonzalez is a former MLB outfielder who played for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Red, New York Mets and Cleveland Indians during a five year stretch (2000-04).

As it does every year, the Scrappers’ roster will have a completely new look. Just two players (Tommy Szczepanski, Daniel Stewart) on the opening day roster were with the team a year ago. Eighteen states, along with Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, are represented on the roster, though some players will not arrive until later this week. Five players are Ohio natives, including Youngstown State University product Brady Shannon – a Youngstown Ursuline graduate.

At the age of 24, Danny Heintz (North Carolina State) is the elder statesman on the team. There are five 18-year-old players on the roster who will join the Scrappers straight out of high school.

The Scrappers are scheduled to play 40 home games this summer. Following their three-game series against State College, they will play a weekend series at Aberdeen before returning home next Tuesday for a six-game homestand.