Fields of Dreams

BY SCOTT ROUCH

Sports aficionados in the Tampa Bay area will have plenty to choose from this spring. One of the main attractions, of course, is baseball, with spring training running to the last week in March. Options range from the New York Yankees, who call Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field home, to the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater (19 miles west) at Spectrum Field and the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin (another six miles to the coast) at Dunedin Stadium.

It doesn’t take long for the Rays to test their mettle against A.L. East foes with the Baltimore Orioles (who also train in sunny Florida, to the south in Sarasota) in town April 19-21, followed by a three-game battle (April 22-24) against the reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox. The Yankees come for three days, May 10-12. Tropical shirts are for all fans (while supplies last) May 11 while kids 14 and under get snapback hats May 12. Facing more stiff competition in the early going, the World Series runners-up Los Angeles Dodgers make the trip east May 21-22. Looking for something to do for July Fourth? The Rays square off against the Yankees (July 4-7), finishing a 10-game homestand, which starts June 28 against the Texas Rangers.

Tropicana Field will buzz with excitement as the Rays, who finished with a 90-72 record a year ago, return key members of the squad including 2018 Cy Young Awardwinner Snell (21-5; 1.89 ERA; 221 strikeouts). Other players to watch include second baseman Joey Wendle who batted .300 with 146 hits and outfielder Tommy Pham, who came to the Rays in a deal July 31, batting .343 in 39 games, finishing the season with 21 home runs.

When visiting Tropicana Field, don’t forget to interact with the Rays’ aquatic namesake in the Rays Touch Experience, where you can interact with majestic cownose and southern stingrays in a 35-foot, 10,000-gallon tank located in Center Field at Gate 1. The tank is the first of its kind in a pro sports venue and can accommodate 45 people at a time. Arrive early, as the experience closes two hours after the first pitch. Or, see the tank as part of the Tropicana Field tour (10:30 am and 1 pm on select days) that also gives you access to the dugout, press box and more.

Tropicana Field will buzz with excitement after a 90-win season and the return of Cy Young Award-winner Blake Snell.

DUNEDIN STADIUM, 373 DOUGLAS AVE., DUNEDIN, 727.733.9302

GEORGE M. STEINBRENNER FIELD, 1 STEINBRENNER DRIVE, TAMPA, 813.875.7753

TROPICANA FIELD, 1 TROPICANA DRIVE, ST. PETERSBURG, 727.825.3137

The Lightning on home ice

As they did in 2018 when they had the Eastern Conference’s best regular-season record, the Tampa Bay Lightning are once again scorching the ice at Amalie Arena. Russian-born Nikita Kucherov leads the team in assists and total points with Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point neck-and-neck in the team goal-scoring race.

On pace to finish with the best record in the National Hockey League heading into April’s playoffs, the Lightning have some interesting matchups in March, including two key games against last year’s Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals (March 16, March 30).

To make that trip to the game that much more special, arrange for a Fan Shout scoreboard message. Messages appear on the Amalie Arena Lightning Vision Scoreboard during the second intermission.

For early arrivers to the game, The Lightning Girls are at the main entrance greeting fans and taking pictures with them.

It’s the right time of the year for soccer fans, too, as the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ season gets underway. The Division II United Soccer League’s Championship League runs from March through October; the Rowdies begin their 2019 campaign at Memphis March 9 before caption text returning to Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg to play host to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds March 16.

Amalie Arena will also play host to the best that women’s college basketball has to offer. Tampa will be a hotbed of hoops hysteria April 5-7 with the 2019 NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four. There will be free events during the weekend including Tourney Town presented by Capital One, at the Tampa Bay Convention Center. A slew of events include autograph signings, special appearances, basketball contests and much more.

The football season ended just a few months back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not to fear, the existing gulf until the start of summer workouts will be bridged by the NFL Draft. The Bucs have the No. 5 overall pick and fans can cheer on the team’s selection in person at the draft party at Raymond James Stadium, April 25 from 6-11 pm.

Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos are scorching the ice at Amalie Arena for the NHL’s top team.

The draft will be an important one for the Bucs who brought in head coach Bruce Arians early in the offseason. Arians has won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award twice, once with the Indianapolis Colts (2012) and with the Arizona Cardinals (2014).

AL LANG STADIUM, 230 1ST ST., ST. PETERSBURG, 727.222.2000

AMALIE ARENA, 401 CHANNELSIDE DRIVE, TAMPA BAY, 813.301.6500

RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM, 4201 N. DALE MABRY HIGHWAY, TAMPA BAY, 813.350.6500

TAMPA BAY CONVENTION CENTER, 333 S. FRANK LIN ST., TAMPA, 800.426.5630