Biloxi Shuckers baseball ready for opening day
The Shuckers are back in Biloxi for an eighth season at MGM Park and are making final preparations for Opening Day.
Similar to last year, the Shuckers will open the season on the road against the Mississippi Braves on Friday before welcoming fans at home on Tuesday, April 11, against Pensacola.
The Opening Day roster features a mix of names familiar to Biloxi and those that are new following disbursement from the Milwaukee Brewers’ spring camp in Arizona.
Among the prospects taking the diamond this year is outfielder Jackson Chourio. The Venezuelan product is Baseball America’s No. 3 prospect and the top prospect in the Brewers’ organization.
Chourio, the only teenager on the team at 19, played briefly for the Shuckers in six games at the end of last season. He was the Brewers’ 2022 Minor League Player of the Year after slashing .288/.342/.538 with 20 home runs in 99 games across three different levels in the Brewers’ system.
“I’ve actually faced Jackson a couple of times during live (at-bats) during spring training in Arizona,” Biloxi pitcher Nick Bennett said at Shuckers’ media day. “I hope our fans are ready for a show.”
Infielder Tyler Black and catcher Jeferson Quero round out the other top-10 Brewers’ prospects on the roster at No. 6 and No. 8 respectively.
It will be the second season the Shuckers play under a new suite of rules that have unveiled at the Major League level this season. The changes include a pitch clock and bigger bases and their impacts in the minors were noticeable.
The average minor league game in 2022 lasted just two hours and 38 minutes, down from three hours and three minutes from the year prior. The minors also saw a jump in stolen bases from 20,117 in 2021 to 24,917 a year ago.
“For a lot of us guys, our goal is to move quick while we’re on the mound,” Bennett said. “It gives the hitter less time to think about what’s coming. Pitch clock has never been an issue for me, I’m a fast paced guy... A lot of guys love the pitch clock. I personally like it, too. I think there’s a lot of benefits to it on the pitching side and I think it speeds up the game.”
Promotions are back at the Park, as well, including Fireworks Fridays, Jackie Robinson Day on April 15 and the occasional Bark in the Park.
The organization is under new ownership this year. The managing group led by John Tracy says it is committed to keeping baseball in Biloxi.
“I know everyone is looking forward to the ball club and having a competitive ball club,” seventh-year manager Mike Guerrero said. “The community embraces this team and we’re looking forward to being part of the community.”
Fans can purchase tickets at milb.com/biloxi.
