Around the horn with the Modesto Nuts: 9 things to know before the home opener.

Modesto Nuts general manager Zach Brockman emerges from his office with a notepad in hand.

With the home opener fast approaching, his to-do list is long, ranging from signage to stadium construction to small cosmetic touches.

It’s a good problem to have, though, because minor league baseball is back, and the Nuts enter the new season with wind in their sails.

In its first season as the Seattle Mariners’ Class-A advanced affiliate, the Nuts took home an assortment of trophies, beginning with their first California League title since 2004.

The Nuts swept through the playoffs, finishing a 6-0 run with a sweep of the Lancaster JetHawks. Off-season community awards soon followed, giving the Nuts serious momentum going into Thursday’s home opener against the Visalia Rawhide.

In the spirit of baseball, let’s go around the horn with the Modesto Nuts. Here are nine things you should know about your minor league baseball team before Thursday’s debut:

Food & beverage

Concessions executive Ed Mack and Modesto Nuts' kitchen will roll out a new-look menu this season, including a dish inspired by Mack's time in the Bayou.

For $8, fans can order a shrimp po boy, a traditional New Orleans sandwich.

New items also include: fried Twinkies, chicken wings, a cowboy burger (a hamburger with barbeque sauce and onion rings), garlic flat fries, mega nachos (chicken, pork, chili, cheese and jalapenos), a bratwurst, chicken and cheese tamales, and bacon on a stick.

The latter is a favorite of Brockman, who says it's a steal at $2.50. Bacon on a stick is just that – two pieces of thick-cut bacon threaded onto a skewer.

And what's a good meal without something to drink?

The Nuts now offer a 24-ounce beer, which retails for $4 on Thirsty Thursdays. Stella Rosa wines, Bodega Sangria, and Last Call (Oakdale) and Blaker (Ceres) brewing companies have also been welcomed into the concessions family.

New to the park

If you’re planning a group event around a Modesto Nuts home game, John Thurman Field has just the space for your party: The Hot Corner Deck, which sits along the third-base line.

Once home to individual seating, the Nuts have re-imagined that space and the service.

The seating has been replaced with round and high-top tables, which can seat 80 fans, and there will be waitress service throughout the game.

Tickets will be sold to groups and individuals, and the space can be partitioned to accommodate parties of 30 to 40 people. The Hot Corner Deck ticket is $24.

Promotions

Modesto built its promotional calendar around the staples: Breast Cancer Awareness Night, June 15; Graffiti Nights, June 16; Star Wars Night, June 30; and Hometown Heroes, Aug. 18.

“Community is such a big deal for us and we want to grow that footprint,” Brockman said. “This off-season was big for us and we have a lot of momentum.”

In that spirit, the Nuts’ front office looks forward to its new promotions, each geared toward cementing the team's place in the Central Valley.

The new promotions include: Leukemia and Lymphoma Night, April 28; Faith and Family Night, Aug. 24; Stranger Things Night, June 9; and Fire Prevention Night on May 12, which will feature a “Guns and Hoses,” fire-versus-police softball game before the Nuts host Lake Elsinore.

Every weekend, the Nuts will honor a local veteran as part of their “Veteran of the Game” promotion. The honoree will receive tickets to the game and a custom Nuts jersey.

Nominations are welcome.

Opening Night, April 12

On Thursday, the Nuts will welcome minor league baseball back to the city of Modesto with a pregame party.

VMI Rock School of Rock, a local band, will set the pace with their performance. There will also be Henna tattoos, face paint, caricature sketches and a clown for fans who arrive early.

Modesto police officer Juan Arroyo will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. In January, Arroyo suffered severe injuries when his squad car was struck by a pickup truck evading the California Highway Patrol.

Arroyo is a former employee of the Modesto Nuts.

Along with officially ringing in the new season with the first pitch, Arroyo becomes the face of an organizational award. The Nuts announced the creation of the Juan Arroyo Perseverance Award, which will be given annually to the player who best exemplifies grit, perseverance, courage, leadership and community commitment.

There will be firewords following the game.

Raising the flag

The Nuts will acknowledge their 2017 California League championship during their home opener.

Season highlights will play on the video board and a championship flag will be raised in left field. Nuts manager Mitch Canham will also receive his championship ring before the game.

The award goes to...

The success enjoyed by the Nuts on the diamond was mirrored in the community.

Shortly after winning the California League championship, the Nuts were honored with the California League’s Excellence in Community Service Award and the Modesto Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Year award. The latter recognized innovation in business practice, superior customer philosophy and overall growth.

Brockman said the Nuts donated more than $300,000 back to the community last year.

New faces in the front office

Brockman is returning to Modesto for his second stint in the Nuts’ front office, but first as general manager.

The Chicago native and former Robert Morris University baseball player began his sports executive career in Modesto, before moving onto minor league franchises in South Carolina and Oklahoma.

He’s joined by account executives Steven Webster and Sean Gallagher; Chase Foster, director of ticket sales; Kyle Gogo, concessions manager; and Matt Baca, in-game entertainment director.

Kid reporter

Seven-year-old Sonoma Elementary student Eli Musso will reprise his role as the Nuts' kid reporter.

This will be Musso’s second season with the team, and his interviews with players and coaches will be aired on the video board during breaks in the action.

“We fell in love with him,” Brockman said. “It’s hard to when you’re such a neat kid.”

Musso stole the spotlight during the Nuts’ media day. He arrived wearing a bow tie and suspenders that read “swag.”

Players to watch

The Nuts roster features seven players ranked as one of the top-30 prospects in the Mariners’ farm system, including 20-year-old third baseman Joe Rizzo, the Cal League Championship Series MVP a season ago. Rizzo, who batted .421 in the postseason, is the club's sixth-best prospect, according to MLB.com.

The other top prospects include: infielder Donnie Walton, No. 22; infielder Bryson Brigman, No. 27; outfielder Anthony Jimenez, No. 14; and relievers Wyatt Mills, No. 10, Seth Elledge, No. 17, and Kyle Wilcox, No. 30.

This story was originally published April 7, 2018 at 8:40 PM with the headline "Around the horn with the Modesto Nuts: 9 things to know before the home opener.."