Opening Day 2021 at Hammons Field is set for May 4 when the Springfield Cardinals face the Wichita Wind Surge, kicking off a 6-game Opening Homestand that lasts until May 9.
This is the first time since 2016 that the Cardinals will open a season at home, and it will bring an end to a 610-day stretch without Cardinals Baseball in Springfield since the team last played on September 4, 2019. Opening Day will also be the first time the Cardinals host a Minnesota Twins affiliate as we welcome the Wind Surge for the first game in their organization’s history.
The Cardinals will play a 120-game season from May 4 – September 19 with 60 home games scheduled at Hammons Field, including 12 home games in May, 14 in June, 15 in July, 13 in August and six in September. With a scheduling format that is optimized for player health and reduced travel this year, each week during the 2021 season will feature a six-game series from Tuesday – Sunday, with every Monday tabbed as a travel day.
The Cardinals will play 102 games against Double-A Central North Division rivals: the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (12 home/12 away), the Tulsa Drillers (12 home/12 away), the Arkansas Travelers (18 home/12 away) and the Wichita Wind Surge (12 home/12 away). The Cardinals will have their first meetings against the South Division with a six-game homestand against San Antonio Missions from June 1-6 at Hammons Field. Springfield will play 12 games (6 home/6 away) against the Missions and six games (6 away) against the Frisco RoughRiders.
The Cardinals are excited to welcome fans back to the ballpark, though we do expect it to be different as we follow and enforce all City, County, State, National, NCAA and/or Major League Baseball ordinances throughout the year. As regulations loosen, we will quickly adapt and do the same to make the experience as enjoyable as possible while keeping players, fans and staff safe. Please note that with so many entities sharing Hammons Field, that even if one regulation is lifted, others may still be in effect (example: If MLB lifts an ordinance but the county does not, we will still follow the county).
