Wood Ducks Kick Off The Season with Excitement, Fireworks, and New Leadership

PREDICTIONS:

Trey Scott: Woodies
Kymonte Roberts: Woodies
Chance Scott: Woodies

The Down East Wood Ducks are set to open their season on Thursday, April 6, against the Kannapolis Cannonballers at Historic Grainger Stadium. Fans in attendance will be treated to a magnet schedule giveaway and a postgame fireworks display, adding to the excitement of Opening Day.

The Wood Ducks are entering the 2023 season under the guidance of new manager Carlos Maldonado, a former MLB catcher. This will be Maldonado’s first full-season managerial assignment, but his impressive track record speaks for itself. The Venezuela native led the Arizona Complex League Rangers to a 32-22 record and a playoff berth in 2022, after guiding the Dominican Summer League Rangers to a combined 91-36 record over his first two seasons (2019, 2021) as a professional skipper. Maldonado is no stranger to the Wood Ducks, having previously served as a coach on their staff in 2018 following two years as a player/coach at Frisco.

The Wood Ducks’ 2023 schedule features a total of 132 games, with an even split of 66 home games at Historic Grainger Stadium and 66 on the road. The regular season is set to conclude on Sunday, September 10.

This year, the Wood Ducks will host three North Division rivals—the Carolina Mudcats, the Delmarva Shorebirds, and the Salem Red Sox—along with all South Division opponents, including Charleston, Columbia, Augusta, Kannapolis, Myrtle Beach, and Fayetteville.

The Wood Ducks will be looking to improve on their 65-66 record from last season and take the first step towards a winning season tonight against the Kannapolis Cannonballers.