TWINS NOTEBOOK: Theme Days Added, Broadcast Schedule Released & Extended Netting in Cedar Rapids

Theme nights have been wildly popular for the Minnesota Twins in recent seasons, and the 2018 slate was announced by the club on Tuesday.

The team announced 23 theme nights for 2018, starting with one at the end of the month of April:

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA NIGHT – April 27

MINNESOTA LYNX NIGHT – May 1

SCRUBS NIGHT – May 15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uioJWTud66E

MINNESOTA UNITED NIGHT – May 21

STAR WARS NIGHT – May 22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72NWz7oSDNA&t=57s

SKOL NIGHT – June 1

WINE, WOMEN & BASEBALL – June 1, July 12 & Aug. 17

MARGARITAVILLE NIGHT – June 2

PRINCE NIGHT – June 8

FAITH DAY – June 10

UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS NIGHT – June 20

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA NIGHT – July 6

PRIDE NIGHT – July 9

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY NIGHT – July 12

COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT & SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY NIGHT – July 30

CANCER AWARENESS NIGHT – Aug. 14

NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY NIGHT – Aug. 16

TWINS SPORTSMEN’S FLANNEL NIGHT – Aug. 18

YOGA NIGHT – Sept. 5

MINNESOTA WILD NIGHT – Sept. 12

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES NIGHT – Sept. 25

LOVE YOUR MELON NIGHT – Sept. 27

ZUBAZPALOOZA – Sept. 28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQkUAFpJ9BQ

Tickets for all theme nights are available here.

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For the first time in franchise history, the Twins announced that every single game this season -- all 162 -- will be televised. The Twins will have eight nationally-televised games -- six on FS1 and two on ESPN -- with the remaining 154 games covered by Fox Sports North.

Twins PR head Dustin Morse passed on that the ESPN games covered this season will be April 18 against Cleveland -- in Puerto Rico -- and the April 23 game on the road against the Yankees.

The first game in Puerto Rico (April 17) will be on FS1.

The Twins open the season on Thursday, March 29 against Baltimore and their home opener is April 5 against the Seattle Mariners.

Eleven spring training games will also be telecast on Fox Sports North, according to a previous release.

The entire staff of the pre-, post- and in-game coverage for Fox Sports North returns, with the addition of Justin Morneau, who'll work in on color commentary duties when Bert Blyleven is not around.

Blyleven will work around half the games this season.

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The Twins' Low-A affiliate Cedar Rapids Kernels announced on Tuesday a plan to extend the netting at Perfect Game Field.

According to a team release, the current netting meets MLB and MiLB regulations, and the new netting will extend above the dugout and out to the outfield side of it, giving fans added protection from heat-seeking line drives, bats and any other projectiles which may come off the field of play.

“The Kernels take fan safety very seriously and take several steps during games to remind fans of the risks of foul balls and broken bats entering the seating area,” said Kernels general manager Scott Wilson.

“While we remind fans to pay attention to the game at all times, this additional netting helps create more awareness about fan safety and offers more seating choices for those fans that wish to sit behind the protective netting.”

The Kernels open their season April 5 on the road against Quad Cities, with the installation of the netting expected to be complete before the home opener on April 7 -- also against Quad Cities in a season-opening home-and-home four-game set.

Listen to Brandon on Midwest Swing

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