Rockies announce spring exhibition schedule

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies today announced their 31-game 2010 Cactus League schedule, which features 15 home dates for the club in Tucson, Arizona. The final two games of the schedule will played in Albuquerque against the Seattle Mariners. This schedule is subject to change, as the team may add or remove games from the spring slate.

The spring schedule will begin on Thursday, March 4 with a road game at Tucson Electric Park against the Diamondbacks. Following the opener, the club will play split squad affairs at Scottsdale versus the Giants and at Tempe versus the Angels on Friday, March 5. The first home game, which will take place at Hi Corbett Field versus the Milwaukee Brewers, is slated for Saturday, March 6. Six of the first eight games are scheduled to take place at visiting venues; however, the club will remain in Tucson for two of those away games (Thursday, March 4 and Sunday, March 7 at Tucson Electric Park vs. the Diamondbacks). The Rockies’ lone off day will be Wednesday, March 24.

Colorado’s spring schedule includes 15 games at Hi Corbett Field, the spring training home of the Rockies. The Rockies, who have trained in Tucson since 1993, will hold their 18th spring training at the historic facility. Highlights for the home schedule include a Monday, March 15 game vs. the Chicago Cubs and a Thursday, March 25 game vs. the Cincinnati Reds. Cincinnati will make its first visit to Hi Corbett Field as a member of the Cactus League, as the Reds have trained in Florida since 1946.

Every Cactus League team will visit Hi Corbett Field at least once. Overall the club will face each team at least once at home and once on the road. The only exception has the Rockies visiting Tucson Electric Park twice.

The Rockies will send split squads to road games on four occasions, including Sunday, March 14, when the club will face the Diamondbacks in Hermosillo, Mexico. It will mark Colorado’s first spring training game in Mexico since matching up against the Padres in the city of Culiacan in 2001. On Saturday, March 13, the Milwaukee Brewers will send a split squad to play against the Rockies at Hi Corbett Field.

The final two exhibition games will take place in Albuquerque against the Seattle Mariners. Those games will be played at Isotopes Park, home of the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Friday, April 2 at 5:05 p.m. and Saturday, April 3 at 12:05 p.m. Information for fans wishing to purchasing tickets for the two games at Isotopes Park is available by calling the Isotopes office at (505) 924-2255. The Rockies also played their final exhibition game of the spring in Albuquerque in 2005 against the Texas Rangers. For the second consecutive season Colorado and Seattle will conclude their Spring Training schedules against each other, however, last year’s matchup took place in Las Vegas.

All home spring games at Hi Corbett Field will begin at 1:10 p.m. local time. Away games will start at 1:05 p.m. local time unless otherwise noted. Spring training tickets will go on sale Saturday, January 9 at 9 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Hi Corbett Field ticket office, the Coors Field ticket office, all Dugout Store locations, all King Soopers locations, online at coloradorockies.com or by phone, by calling 1-800-388-ROCK. To purchase tickets by mail, call (303) ROCKIES to request a mail order form. Service charges apply at the Dugout Stores, King Soopers, online, over the phone and by mail. For additional Rockies Spring Training information call (303) ROCKIES.