SEA DOGS 20th SEASON KICKS-OFF THURSDAY

Longtime Public Address Announcer Dean Rogers to  Throw-Out Ceremonial First-Pitch
Portland, Maine - The Portland Sea Dogs will open their 20th season on Thursday, April 4th at 6:00 PM against the Trenton Thunder (Yankees) at Hadlock Field.  Opening Day ceremonies will honor Sea Dogs' longtime Public Address Announcer Dean Rogers.

Rogers who has introduced nearly every first-pitch participant over the last 19 seasons at Hadlock Field will now get his turn.  Rogers will officially kick-off the Sea Dogs 20th season by throwing out the ceremonial first-pitch.  Rogers stepped down as the Sea Dogs Public Address Announcer in the fall after serving 19 seasons behind the microphone.  Besides his duties with the Sea Dogs, Rogers has been a mainstay on Portland radio over the last 40 years.  Rogers is a member of the Maine Broadcaster's Hall of Fame and recipient of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame's President's Award.  On June 24th, 2012 he had the honor of serving as the Public Address Announcer for the Boston Red Sox when they hosted the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park.

The National Anthem will be performed by Michaela Boissonneault.  Boissonneault is a senior at Portland High School, and a veteran National Anthem singer for the Portland Sea Dogs. Last summer she sang the National Anthem at a Red Sox game for "Maine Day" at Fenway Park.  She will be singing again at Fenway Park April 28th.   Boissonneault will also be performing all summer at the Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick.

Opening ceremonies will also include the debut of the Portland Sea Dogs Dance Team, presented by Q 97.9 FM.  The team is compromised of boys and girls 8 to 16 years-old and is designed to support the Sea Dogs' organization by providing entertainment during selected home games throughout the 2013 season.

The Sea Dogs will be providing over 490 Portland students with free tickets to Opening Day.  The Sea Dogs partnered with the Portland Recreation Department and the Portland Public Library to have students "Read Their Way to Opening Day" through a reading challenge put forth by Slugger and the Sea Dogs.  The 490 students who met the Sea Dogs' challenge will participant in an on field parade on Opening Day.

As fans enter the park they will be greeted by the Bellamy Jazz Band.  The famous L.L. Bean Boot Mobile will also be on display.

Gates will open at 4:00 PM.  Pre-game ceremonies will begin at approximately 5:50 PM, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:10 PM.

Tickets for Opening Day and all Sea Dogs' home games are available and can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 or online at www.seadogs.com.