Spirit Communications Park, home of the Columbia Fireflies, has already shattered the attendance record for professional baseball in the Palmetto State capital, and come June 2017, fans will have another exciting event to watch.
During Thursday's game against the Greensboro Grasshoppers, team owner Jason Freier teamed up with Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and Spirit Communications CEO Bob Keane to announce that the Fireflies will host the 2017 South Atlantic League All-Star Game. Earlier in the game, the team accepted Baseball Digest's Ballpark of the Year award.
With seating for up to 9,077 people, Spirit Communications Park is an upgrade in size over the 2016 host, Whitaker Bank Ballpark, which holds just under 7,000 fans.
In addition to the game, which will be held on June 20, 2017, Columbia will host a home run derby, a fan fest, an all-star gala and other events.
MLB superstars Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton have participated in past South Atlantic League All-Star Games, as have Hall of Fame pitchers Tom Glavine, Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton.
Players, coaches and fans from all 14 teams will be represented in the 58th annual mid-summer classic, which hasn't been held in Columbia since 1992.
According to a team press release, ticketing information will be available in the "near future" at columbiafireflies.com.