PENSACOLA — The Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Miami Marlins’ Double-A affiliate, will take the field at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday for the franchise’s first game at the oldest professional ballpark in the United States, with first pitch set for 1:30 p.m. ET.
The Southern League matchup against the hometown Birmingham Barons will feature a tribute to Black baseball history, with Pensacola wearing the jerseys of the Pensacola Seagulls — a feeder team to the Negro Southern League during segregation. The Barons will honor the legendary Birmingham Black Barons, who played in several Negro Leagues now recognized as Major Leagues, including the Negro National League and the Negro American League.
“We couldn’t be more excited to join the Barons at Rickwood Field,” Blue Wahoos president Jonathan Griffith said. “The Blue Wahoos have always celebrated our community’s rich baseball history. From Minor League teams of the past … to the proud tradition of military baseball, to the enduring legacy of the Pensacola Seagulls, we are indebted to those who have come before us. Connecting this past to the future stars of tomorrow at The Rickwood Game will be an unforgettable experience.”
The Pensacola roster features right-hander Karson Milbrandt, the Marlins’ No. 9 prospect, who leads the Double-A level with a 1.06 ERA and ranks among Minor League leaders in strikeouts. Outfielder Dillon Lewis, the Marlins’ No. 10 prospect, is also on the roster. Birmingham counters with middle infielder Jeral Perez, Chicago’s No. 15 prospect. Tickets are available through a $10 Time Machine offer the Barons created to reflect the organization’s belief that Rickwood Field should be experienced by everyone.
Opened in 1910, Rickwood Field served as home to both the Birmingham Barons and the Black Barons for decades, hosting Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Satchel Paige, Willie Wells and Mule Suttles. Mays — “The Say Hey Kid” — grew up in the immediate area and made his professional debut at age 17 with the Black Barons of the Negro American League in 1948, helping Birmingham advance to the final Negro Leagues World Series before falling to Buck Leonard’s Homestead Grays. The ballpark also served as a filming location for the 2013 Jackie Robinson biopic “42.”
The modern-day Barons played a Rickwood Classic at the venue each Minor League season from 1996-2016 and 2018-19. The ballpark underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation ahead of MLB and MiLB games there in 2024, and in 2025 it hosted a game between the Rocket City Trash Pandas and the Barons as well as Major League Baseball’s East-West Classic, a Negro Leagues tribute.
The East-West Classic returns to Rickwood Field on June 19 in celebration of Juneteenth.