MADISON – After a yearlong postponement, Minor League Baseball returns to North Alabama.

The Rocket City Trash Pandas finally launch their inaugural season in May at Toyota Field.

Opening Night is set for May 11 at 6:35 p.m. against the Tennessee Smokies. The festivities will feature a spectacular fireworks show, a Toyota Field stadium replica model giveaway, and much more.

“Since we broke ground on Toyota Field in June 2018, through the naming of our team, ballpark construction, almost $4 million in merchandise sales, and an entire season lost to the pandemic, our fans have steadfastly stood behind this team like no other,” said Trash Pandas President and CEO Ralph Nelson. “In turn, we have worked extremely hard to create a fan experience deserving of the unprecedented support our fans have given us.

“The 2021 season will be very special, and we can’t wait.”

The overall 120-game schedule as part of the new, eight-team Double-A South League begins May 4 with the Trash Pandas on the road against the Chattanooga Lookouts. Each series during the season will be played Tuesday through Sunday, with every Monday an off day. There are 60 home games and 60 away games.

The full home slate is:

May 11-16 vs. Tennessee Smokies
May 25-30 vs. Birmingham Barons
June 1-6 vs. Chattanooga Lookouts
June 15-20 vs. Biloxi Shuckers
July 6-11 vs. Montgomery Biscuits
July 20-25 vs. Tennessee Smokies
July 27 – August 1 vs. Birmingham Barons
August 17-22 vs. Chattanooga Lookouts
August 31 – September 5 vs. Tennessee Smokies
September 14-19 vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos

The Tuesday through Saturday home games will have a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. Sunday games in July and August will also start at 6:35 p.m. while Sunday games in May, June, and September will start at 2:35 p.m.

The promotional schedule includes postgame fireworks every Friday and Saturday, dog-friendly nights every Wednesday, and pregame happy hours every Thursday. The complete promotional and giveaway schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

“It’s been a long year and we’ve done everything but host Trash Pandas baseball,” said Trash Pandas Vice President of Marketing, Lindsey Knupp. “We couldn’t be more excited to finally welcome and entertain fans here at Toyota Field.”

Ticket policies, including timelines for purchasing individual game tickets, should be announced next week. However, single-game box seat vouchers are available for $16 per ticket and can be purchased online (www.trashpandasbaseball.com) and at the Emporium at Bridge Street and Junkyard at Toyota Field team stores. Once single-game tickets go on sale, vouchers are redeemable for any game during the 2021 season, excluding Opening Night.

Toyota Field safety protocols, including fan capacity, seating structure, mask ordinances, and more are still to be determined. These regulations will be announced closer to the start of the season.