Blue Ribbons prepare to open 2024 season

By Tori Wittenbrock

Associate Sports Editor

GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Blue Ribbons baseball team is prepared to open their 2024 season at Joannes Stadium at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, with a double header against the Kewaskum A’s.

The Blue Ribbons hosted their annual Fan Fest event on Friday, May 24, with batting practice and a seven-inning scrimmage open to the public for free admission.

According to team manager Haydon Price the team is excited to be getting back into the swing of things.

“It’s exciting to have everyone back and to see a lot of new faces, and even some we are all very familiar with,” said Price.

Price also said that he is thrilled to see a roster that showcases so much local talent and gives a platform to players that grew up in the Green Bay area.

“Staying local was one of our biggest offseason priorities. We wanted to keep the talent in the area, which we believe will work to attract fans as well. This area is loaded with talent,” said Price.

Returner and fan favorite first baseman James Bornick said that he is greatly anticipating the 2024 season and can’t wait to see his team improve from their performance last season.

“I’m really looking forward to the group of guys we’ve got here,” said Bornick. “It’s going to be a real fun experience again.”

The Blue Ribbons season will run through Wednesday, July 31, with the postseason running in early August.

Another returner said that although he is looking forward to playing baseball this summer with the Blue Ribbons, it will be a bittersweet experience for him.

Green Bay Preble High School graduate Griffin Summers is entering his seventh season with the team at shortstop and second base and knows that this will be his last.

“I’m very excited, especially knowing that it’s my last season playing baseball,” said Summers.

“There’s nothing better than playing ball with local kids — especially with kids you played against growing up.”

Summers is one of the only players on the team that was a part of the program when it was still known as the De Pere Dodgers in 2018.

“I’m just taking it all in, inning by inning. Whether it’s at the Jo or away games, I’m just taking it all in and trying to pass any knowledge I have on to other players, honestly,” said Griffin.

With all the excitement the team has for this season, Price said that as the manager there is one factor above all that the Blue Ribbons are looking forward to — seeing the support of their fans.

“We want everybody to come out. We’ve got really good baseball players, mainly college age from around the area. As far as the community goes, we appreciate their support,” said Price.

“I know we’ve got a lot of promotional nights where we usually attract a pretty good crowd. We’ve got cheap tickets, beer, hotdogs — everything that you could possibly want at a baseball game. We invite everyone out and encourage them to watch some good baseball this summer.”