‘We are looking for involvement’
Drakes front-office seeking community sponsorships
Marysville Drakes’ first-year Assistant General Manager and Sales Manager Jerry Bettencourt said this year the front office and braintrust is working hard to make this summer’s experience as community-friendly as possible with Yuba-sutter being involved almost exclusively on a daily basis.
It starts with providing a variety of options that the community, specifically local businesses, can participate in. The primary option that the Drakes are seeking out is sponsorship opportunities from the community where it can advertise its business in a number of ways at Bryant Field in Marysville.
Bettencourt said there are four levels that businesses can choose from: The home run, which costs $5,000, gives businesses advertisements across the stadium and online starting with a 16x8 stadium banner to be draped along the outfield wall at Bryant Field. In addition, Bettencourt said the home run package gives businesses an opportunity to display a logo on the field’s on-deck circle, on the Drakes’ jerseys and baseballs. There will also be specialty nights in addition to multiple fireworks nights throughout the three-month season, Bettencourt said.
With the home run, triple and double package, businesses can buy a group night that includes 50 tickets to a game and multiple promos displayed throughout the night by Bettencourt, who doubles as the game public address announcer.
“We are looking for a lot of community involvement,”
Bettencourt said. “It’s so much fun when you come out here and you reap the awards of what you put into the ball club.”
The triple package is $1,500, the double is $350 and the single costs $100. All proceeds go to help the ballclub and its players continue in Marysville.
Bettencourt said the goal is to raise $35,000 to be used as operating costs for the Bryant Field facility.
Also new this year, Bettencourt said, will be a Drakes Booster Club, spearheaded by President Brigett Diemer.
Bettencourt wants the boosters to help with team post-game meals and many other tasks this summer.
Diemer said the club consists of about four or five passionate volunteers who all have a rich investment in the team.
Diemer, like many last summer, first got word of the Drakes halfway through the season.
Diemer is now a full-fledged Drakes supporter and is working to make a long-term home for the professional independent team that competes out of the Pacific Division in the multistate Pecos League.
“The main role of the club is to promote and expose the Drakes to the community. My goal is to get butts into the seats and let the guys show our town that there is more to do at night than just stay at home,” Diemer said. “These guys work their butts off and deserve to be recognized and appreciated for it.”
Diemer said while the club is not yet a 501c3, it will be acting as one, while soliciting help through community donations.
Diemer said the club is setting up host families for the players to live in Yuba-sutter for the season, as well as sponsors for the team to receive post-game meals.
There will also be Little League days, like last year when Sutter Area Little League was honored for its state championship in 2023, Diemer said.
Bettencourt believes truly
in prep sports and the impact it can have on a community. In addition to his many duties with the Drakes, Bettencourt umpires high school games across the Yubasutter region and beyond. He has gotten to know many prep teams well over the years and believes it can serve a community well by bringing in prep talent to Bryant Field.
On April 29, with the help of Highlands Community Charter School, Bettencourt said Colusa and Sutter will square off in a nonleague varsity baseball game at 6:45 p.m. at Bryant Field. Concessions will be open and players and fans will get to experience what it feels like to play on a professional baseball field in its own backyard.
“You couldn’t ask for anything better,” Bettencourt said.
For questions contact Bettencourt at (530) 7556513 or visit https://www. marysvilledrakes.com.
Drakes season opener date is set
Beginning on May 22 at 6:30 p.m., Marysville opens its home slate against Vallejo at Bryant Field in the first of a 27-game schedule at Bryant Field. There will be 54 games total with the playoffs against the Pecos League’s Mountain Division to follow.
This year the 10-team Mountain Division extends into Nebraska.
The Drakes will once again be led on the field by Bill Rogan.