LINCOLN, Nebraska – The Saltdogs opened the 2023 season with the first workout of Spring Training at Haymarket Park on Wednesday morning.
The workout featured side work for some of the pitchers and a five-inning intrasquad scrimmage.
“I think it went pretty well for the most part,” manager Brett Jodie said. “It’s always fun to get it rolling and get some real swings going. I thought we looked good.”
The ‘Dogs open the 2023 regular season next Friday, May 12th in Rosemont, Ill. against the Chicago Dogs. Each American Association club has essentially one week to determine the players who will make the Opening Night roster.
“You’ve got to hit the ground running with such a short spring,” Jodie said. “We’re just trying to get in as much as we can to see what we look like, but so far, so good.”
The Saltdogs have a mix of new and familiar faces, with 15 players having worn a ‘Dogs uniform before and nine in Lincoln for the first time.
“We do a lot of research on these guys, we know a lot about them,” Jodie said. “But it’s nice to get some live at-bats, go ahead and get the pitchers’ arms going. We had some good plays being made out there as well. We’ve got some versatility on this team.”
The ‘Dogs continue their preparation with more workouts Thursday and Friday before opening the exhibition schedule with a game at Sioux City on Saturday afternoon.
Lincoln will return home and play one exhibition game at Haymarket Park next Wednesday, May 10th at 5:00 p.m. before leaving for Chicago next Thursday.
The Saltdogs open the 2023 season on the road versus the Chicago Dogs on May 12th and welcome the Gary Southshore RailCats to Haymarket Park for the home opener on Friday, May 19! Single-game tickets for all 50 home games are on sale now. Reserve your tickets now by calling 402-474-BALL (2255) or order on-line at Saltdogs.com.