League Champion Brookhaven Bucks Open 2019 Season Friday

BROOKHAVEN, GA -- The Brookhaven Bucks begin their defense of their first-ever Sunbelt League championship on Friday, June 7, at 6:30 pm at Oglethorpe University. The Bucks open the 2019 season against the Atlanta Crackers, one of six metro Atlanta teams in the summer collegiate wooden bat league.

Last season, the Bucks swept the Marietta Patriots in the best-of-three Sunbelt Baseball League Championship Series to win the first title in team history.

The Bucks are led by former Major League Baseball star Corey Patterson, who returns for his fifth season as Bucks skipper. After being selected in the first round (3rd pick overall) of the 1998 Major League Baseball draft, Patterson went on to play 12 seasons in the big leagues. He is a graduate a Harrison High School in Kennesaw and a member of the Hoyas 1998 state championship baseball team.

“The guys really put it all together at the end of the season and I’m really proud of them,” said Patterson of last year's championship.

Primrose School of Brookhaven is the Bucks lead sponsor. Supporting sponsors include Matt McCord of Norton Commercial, Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub, MOSAIC [Design+Build], Kapp Koncepts, Galla’s Pizza, Bravo Realty Consulting and Bull Engineered Products.

Summer collegiate wooden bat leagues have become popular draws in Georgia, with teams like the Savannah Bananas and Macon Bacon hosting large crowds with popular promotions and low ticket prices. Besides the Bucks and the Crackers, metro Atlanta's Sunbelt League also hosts the Marietta Patriots, Gwinnett Tides, Alpharetta Aviators and Norcross Astros. The league itself is partly funded by Major League Baseball.

All of the Bucks' home games are played at Oglethorpe University's baseball stadium. Here is a link to the team's schedule.