Escarra honored as International League’s Player of the Week

Catcher JC Escarra hit six home runs and drove in 12 to help pace SWB in Syracuse.

Minor League Baseball has announced its weekly awards for September 2-8 and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s JC Escarra was tabbed as the International League’s Player of the Week. The RailRiders won five-out-of six games in their road series at the Syracuse Mets last week thanks, in large part, to Escarra’s efforts.

Escarra went 8-for-17 to bat .471 in five games. The lefty hit six home runs to help drive in a dozen runs, a fifth of the RailRiders runs scored in the series. He also scored nine of his own while walking three times. 

In the series opener, he doubled and walked before homering in his final plate appearance of the evening. He began Wednesday’s contest with another two long balls, recording one in three consecutive at-bats. The 29-year-old swatted home runs on Friday and Saturday, again in his first at-bats of the day. In the series finale, Escarra launched a grand slam for his sixth homer of the week.

Escarra was originally selected by Baltimore in the 15th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft. After being released before the 2022 season, he played in independent ball and internationally before New York signed him as a free agent in 2024. Escarra began the season with Double-A Somerset before being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 19. He has played in 41 games for the RailRiders, working a .305 average. Escarra has split time between catcher, his primary position, and first base. He averages around a 20% caught stealing rate.

Escarra joins Pitchers-of-the-Week Clayton Beeter (April 8-14) and Edgar Barclay (July 29 – August 4) as RailRiders’ IL weekly honorees this year. Escarra is the first SWB position player to nab a weekly award since Estevan Florial in late June to early July of the 2022 season.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre begins its final homestand of the 2024 season Tuesday night against Lehigh Valley. The RailRiders are four games back of the Columbus Clippers heading into the final two series of the season. For tickets to games against the IronPigs this week or for promotional information, visit swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-2255.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Publish 2025 Home Schedule

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, are pleased to announce their home schedule for the 2025 International League season. The RailRiders will begin their season on the road on March 28, 2025, with the home opener scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

The 2025 season is once again slated with 150 games, split evenly between PNC Field and the road. 

“As we close out the current season with great crowds and more RailRiders wins, we can also start looking ahead to what is next,” said Scranton/Wilkes-Barre General Manager Katie Beekman. “It’s going to be a busy off-season with renovations and upgrades. Our front office staff is excited to start planning the next season of fun to help complement the experience everyone has nightly when they come to PNC Field.”

The 2025 home schedule is comprised of 12 six-game series and one three-game set. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will host Buffalo (Toronto), Charlotte (Chicago White Sox), Indianapolis (Pittsburgh Pirates), Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia Phillies), Nashville (Milwaukee Brewers), Rochester (Washington Nationals), Syracuse (New York Mets) Toledo (Detroit Tigers) and Worcester (Boston Red Sox) at PNC Field.

Highlights of the 2025 home schedule include:
April 8 thru 13: Opening Week at PNC Field against the Rochester Red Wings

April 22 thru 27: Charlotte Knights return to PNC Field for the first time since 2019

May 13 thru 18: SWB hosts the Toledo Mud Hens

June 10 thru 15: First 2025 match-up at PNC Field with Syracuse Mets

July 4 thru 6: Three games at PNC Field against the IronPigs beginning on Independence Day
July 8 thru 13: Nine-game homestand continues with Buffalo Bisons in town

July 29 thru August 3: First Nashville Sounds series in Moosic since 1991

August 12 thru 17: Indianapolis Indians journey to NEPA for the first time since 2019 

September 9 thru 14: Final home set of regular season as Lehigh Valley returns to close 2025 IronRail Series

Road opponents, game times, and promotions will be announced at a later time, and the 2025 schedule remains subject to change. For more information, please visit swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-BALL. 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders Playing as the Malmö Oat Milkers

The evening of June 28th, the Malmö Oat Milkers came to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but they’ll have some familiar faces. Your hometown RailRiders played as the Oat Milkers, Minor League Baseball™ (MiLB™)’s newest team brought to the league by Oatly, the world’s original and largest oatmilk company.

Questions such as “the Malmö whats?” “How do I even pronounce that?” and/or “what is oatmilk?” as well as statements including “I don’t get it, and I just want to watch some RailRiders baseball” are appropriate and, frankly, not shocking. Luckily, the Oatly public relations department shared some answers with us, which admittedly could bring either more clarity or more confusion to this situation.

Announced during MLB Tonight’s March 27 evening broadcast, the introduction of The Malmö Oat Milkers to the league is part of Oatly’s ongoing multi-year partnership with MiLB as the first-ever national plant-based, non-dairy sponsor, and pays homage to Oatly’s home city of Malmö, Sweden.

All of MiLB’s already existing 120 teams are each playing one game this season as the Oat Milkers, including the RailRiders – making the Oat Milkers more than just the 121st team of MiLB, but also an occasion for our local players to wear non-generic, but also non-outlandish pink accented jerseys for nine entire innings. Fans are under no obligation to wear Oat Milkers’ gear, but we’re told Oatly – the corporate sponsors – would love that.

While now primarily known for “assuming the identity of a MiLB team,” Oatly also makes a delicious range of oat-based, non-dairy milk alternatives that offer the same creamy taste, frothy feel, and functionality as cow’s milk, while generally having a lower environmental impact1. This includes frozen dessert concessions available for purchase at PNC Field.  

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to Partner with the County of Lackawanna Transit System

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are pleased to partner with COLTS, the County of Lackawanna Transit System, to help provide a new option for fans attending games at PNC Field this season. COLTS will now offer service from five locations to PNC Field.

Three trips to and from the following stops will run Tuesday through Saturday, both before and after the game COLTS will run service from the Transit Station, the DeNaples Center at the University of Scranton, Moosic at South Webster, Valley View and Hill Top. Service will leave PNC Field at three different times nightly with return stops at each location.

“COLTS considers transit to be an essential part of our community and its success,” stated Timothy McGrath, Executive Director for the County of Lackawanna Transit System. “Whether you are going to school, healthcare or work, we are here to get you there safely. Our mission is to enhance mobility for all citizens of Lackawanna County by offering affordable, reliable and safe transportation. Everyone should have the opportunity to get to where they need to, and we are honored to expand our service to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The Game Day Express should be a home run, and we hope you enjoy the game with COLTS!”

First pitch for games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is at 6:35 P.M. Saturday games begin at 6:05 P.M.

“We are thrilled to partner with COLTS to provide this new transportation option to PNC Field,” said Katie Beekman, the General Manager of the RailRiders. “The ballpark has been a part of the fabric of our community for decades and we are truly excited for the new option to assist all fans wanting to attend games.”

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre begins the second half of the 2024 season this evening at PNC Field. The RailRiders host the Worcester Red Sox starting at 6:35 P.M. tonight. For tickets or upcoming promotional information, visit swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-2255.

Special Olympics Selling Tickets for RailRiders Game

Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s Northeast Region is proudly selling RailRiders tickets for their home game against Buffalo on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 6:05. 

Tickets are in sections 13 and 14 and cost only $15 each. There is plenty of accessible seating and it’s golf towel giveaway night. 

Join them in celebrating the joy of baseball and the possibilities of a more inclusive world as a lucky Special Olympics athlete is chosen to throw the first pitch of the game. 

To buy tickets, please click here.

RailRiders 2023 Season Schedule

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, are pleased to announce their schedule for the 2023 season. The RailRiders will open their season on March 31 with a three-game homestand and conclude their second straight 150-game schedule on the road on September 24, split evenly with 75 games at home and 75 on the road.

“While we watch an exciting end to the 2022 season, we are also thrilled to start planning for 2023,” said Katie Beekman, the RailRiders General Manager. “The schedule release now gives our fans a chance to watch some great games over the month ahead while thinking about the next wave of talent ready to represent Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the New York Yankees. It also gives us the momentum to start thinking about how we can make the 2023 season even better than what we experienced this year.”

The 2023 schedule is comprised of 24 six-game series and two three-game sets. The RailRiders will play 132 games against teams from the International League’s East Division and 18 against clubs from the West.

The RailRiders meet teams from the old iteration of the IL North for 117 games out of the 150 scheduled. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre plays Buffalo (Toronto affiliate) 21 times and has 24 games apiece against Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia), Rochester (Washington), Syracuse (New York Mets) and Worcester (Boston). The RailRiders will host Omaha, marking the first trip to Moosic for the Kansas City affiliate since 1990, and Norfolk (Baltimore) for six-game sets while traveling to St. Paul (Minnesota) for the second straight year and hitting up Charlotte (Chicago White Sox) and Columbus (Cleveland) for the first time since 2019.

Highlights of the 2023 regular season schedule include:

March 31 thru April 2: Opening Weekend at PNC Field against Buffalo

April 18 thru 30: A 12-game road trip to St.Paul and Worcester. The RailRiders will visit the Saints for the second straight season.

May 2 thru 14: A two-week homestand with Rochester and Omaha coming to town, marking the first time the Kansas City Royals Triple-A affiliate plays in Moosic since 1990.

May 16 thru 21: First SWB trip to Charlotte since August 2019

June 6 thru 11: Norfolk returns to PNC Field for the second straight season as Baltimore boasts one of the top farm systems in baseball.

June 28 thru July 3: Six-game series at Syracuse ending on Monday, July 3

July 4 thru 9: Lehigh Valley heads to PNC Field starting a set on Independence Day

July 14 thru 16: The RailRiders post-MLB All-Star break series takes the club to Norfolk for a three-game set.

August 1 thru 13: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre hosts Rochester and Syracuse in a two-week homestand.

August 22 thru 27: The IronPigs return to Moosic for the final IronRail series of the season and the second-to-last homestand of the regular season.

August 29 thru September 10: SWB heads to Rochester and Columbus for the last long road trip of the season.

September 12 thru 17: The RailRiders host Buffalo in the final homestand of the season.

September 19 thru 24: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s final road trip brings the regular season to a close in Syracuse.

RailRiders add 13 Employees to Front Office for 2022 Season

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, are pleased to announce key additions to their front office staff as the start of the 2022 season approaches. With the first pitch of the new campaign less than 100 days away, the RailRiders have added 13 new employees to the front office roster.

“We are excited to grow our staff in several key areas and in ways that positively impact our operation,” stated John Adams, Team President of the RailRiders. “We have had a strong core in place and are excited to add new energy to the front office. These new hires are spread across several departments like ticket sales, corporate partnerships and marketing, and should allow everyone on staff to reach their fullest potential.”

Matt Hamilton is the RailRiders new Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. He graduated from West Texas A&M University in 2010 and spent seven years as a news reporter and anchor before a transition to media sales. He joined the Amarillo Sod Poodles in 2018. In three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks Double-A affiliate, Hamilton advanced from serving as a corporate partnerships executive to heading up the department. Under his leadership, the Sod Poodles corporate partnerships grew revenue by over 25% while also retaining 99% of their partners despite the global pandemic.

Chris Hutson joined the RailRiders front office in October as the VP of Ticket Sales, Service and Operations. A native New Yorker, he has a wealth of sales and marketing experience at the team, league office, event and venue levels. He was the principal and co-founder of Turnstyles USA, the first-of-its-kind, multi-dimensional sales support agency that served clients across all major sports. Hutson has also worked for the NFL in a variety of roles as well as Spectacor Management Group, the Philadelphia 76ers and Madison Square Garden, where he directed sales for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.

Holly Gumble is the new senior staff accountant. She is a graduate of Dallas High School and a 2010 graduate of West Chester University, where she earned her degree in Accounting.

Jordan Calvey is the RailRiders new Director of Marketing. She attended Abington Heights High School and is a 2014 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. She built her marketing and sports industry experience through working several Olympic Games with NBC Sports, and at marketing agencies, Inspira and Match Marketing. Calvey most recently spent two years with the U.S. Figure Skating Association in Colorado Springs as the Marketing Manager, where she led ticket sales growth and marketing for their tent pole events, managed organizational campaigns and drove brand awareness locally and nationally.

Katherine Arata has joined the staff as the Marketing Manager. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2019 and interned with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers and at the Astros/Nationals Spring Training Complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, after graduation. Arata spent the 2021 season with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies as the Director of Marketing and Promotions for the New York Mets Double-A affiliate.

Taylor Moy is the new Video Production Manager. A Queens, NYC native, she graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2019 with degrees in media and psychology. Before the start of her career in minor league baseball, she studied abroad in Spain and completed the Disney College Program. Moy spent 2021 with the Rumble Ponies as their video production assistant before becoming a production intern for the New York Giants.

Kirsten Peters is the RailRiders Social Media and Special Events Manager. She is a 2021 graduate of Wilkes University with degrees in communication studies, sports management and creative writing. While at Wilkes, Peters was the editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper, The Beacon. She was also the program director of Wilkes’ student-run television show, Wilkes Now! She served as the baseball team’s intern for four seasons, keeping the scorebook, recording stats and acting as the team photographer. She added baseball social media director to her list of responsibilities in 2018.

Joshua Klein is a new Corporate Partnerships Manager for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. A native of Montville, NJ, he attended Susquehanna University, where he majored in broadcasting and was a member of the River Hawks Crew Club. After graduating in 2019, Klein worked for the Reading Fightin Phils as their Media Relations Intern/Social Media Coordinator. Following his time with Reading, he moved to Nevada and was the Communications Coordinator for the Reno Aces before the cancelation of the 2020 season.

Kate Mummert joins the front office as a Corporate Services Manager. She is a native of Dover, PA, and attended York College of Pennsylvania, graduating in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management. Mummert spent the last three years in the Atlantic League working for the York Revolution in retail, ticketing and client services.

Anthony D’Andrea and Chris Kunzmann have joined the front office as group sales executives.

D’Andrea is a 2021 graduate of the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. The Norwalk, CT native completed social media and marketing internships with Adapting Social and Crowdpac, and served as an Athletics Marketing and Promotions intern for Monmouth University in 2021.

Kunzmann is a New Jersey native and a 2021 graduate of  Penn State. He has previously worked for the Penn State basketball team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs as a Game Day Intern and the Philadelphia Eagles as a Ticket and Fan Services Intern.  

Brandon Brzenski is the club’s new Stadium Operations Manager after spending three seasons with the club as an intern. Brzenski attended Kutztown University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management in 2020. He also attended East Stroudsburg University and graduated in 2021 with a master’s degree in Sport Management.

In addition to the recent hires, Kyle Davis joined the RailRiders last summer as Account Executive Season Ticket Sales. A NEPA native, Davis was previously a Marketing/Services Intern with the team in 2018. He also interned with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as the Game Day operations Intern and the Washington Wild Things as the Event/Operations Intern. Davis attended Temple University and graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sport and Recreation Management.

For more information on these personnel moves or the upcoming season, please contact the RailRiders front office at (570) 969-2255 or visit swbrailriders.com.  

RailRiders Join Newly Formed Organization Diamond Baseball Holdings

Diamond Baseball Holdings will support Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in every aspect of the fan experience, community involvement and partnership opportunities.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders have entered into an agreement to become a part of Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH); an organization dedicated to supporting, promoting, and enhancing the sport of baseball through professional management, best practices, innovation and investment. DBH is a subsidiary of Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company.

Following the closing of the transaction, the RailRiders will continue to be led by Team President, John Adams, and the General Manager, Katie Beekman, and remain an MLB affiliate of the New York Yankees.

“Joining Diamond Baseball Holdings is a tremendous opportunity for our franchise,” Adams said. “NEPA has seen great success from our team on the field and we look forward to creating a next-level fan experience at PNC Field in the years to come. We have been adding energetic individuals to our existing staff and gearing up for 2022. We truly believe that becoming a part of DBH will greatly benefit this team and our community well into the future.”

As part of DBH, the RailRiders will work closely with Diamond Baseball Holdings’ leadership, Pat Battle and Peter B. Freund, to realize the club’s ambitions. Battle is Executive Chairman of DBH, bringing extensive experience at the local and national level, as well as ownership interest in two PDL teams. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Learfield and serves as an advisor to Endeavor across multiple companies. Freund is CEO of DBH, bringing a wealth experience as a longtime Minor League Baseball owner and operator. Freund most recently consulted with the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball on the transition of Major League Baseball’s licensed affiliates while spearheading the formation of the MLB Draft League.

“Diamond Baseball Holdings will be global in our ambitions and hyper-local in our approach and creating incredible fan experiences will remain our number one priority,” said Battle and Freund. “Additionally, we look forward to providing opportunities for growth to the employees of PDL Clubs whose passion and ingenuity have built the sport through the decades.”

Diamond Baseball Holdings was formed by Endeavor, the global sports and entertainment company. DBH will support the RailRiders with ticket sales, partnerships, naming rights, food & beverage, merchandise, content strategy, collectibles/authentics/NFTs and media rights, tapping into the broader Endeavor network for expertise across the various disciplines.

Opponents and Dates Set Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s 2022 Season

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, are pleased to announce their schedule for the 2022 season. The RailRiders will open their season on April 5 on the road and conclude a 144-game schedule on September 21, split evenly with 72 games at home and 72 on the road.

The 2022 schedule is comprised of 23 six-game series and two three-game sets. After only playing within Triple-A East’s Northeast Division in 2021, the club will now take on division rivals 102 times and play 42 games against inter-divisional opponents.  The RailRiders are in the Northeast Division along with the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto), Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia), Rochester Red Wings (Washington), Syracuse Mets (New York Mets) and Worcester Red Sox (Boston).

“The release of the 2022 schedule is really exciting for many reasons,” stated John Adams, Team President of the RailRiders. “While having baseball back in 2021 has been a tremendous boost to our community in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the new 2022 schedule includes a full slate of games and is the first step in getting back to planning a fun and eventful lineup of promotions to coincide with top-tier baseball from the New York Yankees farm system next season.”

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre begins the 2022 season in Syracuse on April 5 and plays its home opener one week later on April 12 against the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore). The RailRiders will travel to Buffalo and host Lehigh Valley during the month as well.

The team travels to Rochester and Worcester during May, while it hosts Syracuse, a first-ever meeting with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami) and starts a series against Lehigh Valley at PNC Field.

Home games in June include contests against the IronPigs, Red Wings and Bisons, while road swings hit Syracuse and Toledo (Detroit). After concluding a series at home against Buffalo on July 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre travels to Worcester for a game on July 4. The team returns home on July 12 to host the Louisville Bats (Cincinnati). After the Triple-A All-Star break from July 18-21, the RailRiders head down the turnpike for a three-game set versus the IronPigs. They conclude July in Rochester against the Red Wings.

August opens with 12 home dates over 13 days, from August 2 through 14, with the Bisons and Red Sox welcomed to town. A 12-game, 13-day road trip to the St. Paul Saints (Minnesota) and the Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City) follows; the first time in history that the RailRiders will play either of those two clubs. The month ends with the first two games of a six-game set against Syracuse at PNC Field.

In September, the RailRiders host the Mets, travel to play the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay) and return to Moosic to play Worcester. The year’s final series is another three-game set against Lehigh Valley on the road from September 19-21.

Game times and promotions will be announced later and the 2022 schedule remains subject to change.

Full, Half and Partial Season Ticket Memberships for the 2022 season are on sale now. For more information,  please visit swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-BALL. 

Gil Honored by Triple-A East for Week of July 19-25

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders pitcher Luis Gil has bee tabbed as Triple-A East’s Pitcher-of-the-Week for July 19-25. On July 21, Gil combined with Reggie McClain and Stephen Ridings to throw a no-hitter against the Rochester Red Wings; the franchise’s first no-hitter since September 2006.

Gil, 23, pitched six no-hit frames in his lone start of the week, walking two and striking out nine. This season, the Azua, Dominican Republic native has gone 3-0 with a 4.03 earned run average for the RailRiders in seven games, all starts. Prior to joining Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Gil was 1-1 with a 264 ERA for the Somerset Patriots in Double-A.

Gil joins pitcher Deivi Garcia and Chris Gittens as a weekly league award honoree. Garcia was the Pitcher-of-the-Week for May 10-16 while Gittens was the Player-of-the-Week for June 21-27.

Gil, McClain and Ridings no-hit effort against the Red Wings was the first for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since Jeremy Cummings on September 3, 2006 at Rochester.
The RailRiders begins a road series against the Syracuse Mets on July 27 and returns to PNC Field on August 3 for 12 games over 13 days with Worcester and Lehigh Valley coming to town.  Single-game tickets for the upcoming homestand, as well as each home game for the remainder of the season, are available now online at swbrailriders.com.