Seattle Mariners Academia de Baseball Grand Opening

BOCA CHICA, D.R. - The Seattle Mariners will open their new baseball academy in Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, February 13, 2014. The Grand Opening ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. at the Mariners Academy.

Master of Ceremonies Yancen Pujols (Sports Editor, Periodico El Caribe) will lead a Grand Opening that will include Whitney Jensen-Rodriguez, representing the United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Mariners President & Chief Operating Officer Kevin Mather, Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik, Mariners Director of Dominican Republic Administration Martin Valerio and Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano.

"It is understood by every fan of Major League Baseball just how important the Dominican Republic has been to the welfare of our fine game," said Zduriencik. "By opening this state-of-the-art facility in Boca Chica, it bonds a long standing relationship that the Seattle Mariners organization has had with players, coaches, and fans from the Dominican Republic and this wonderful country. I speak for every member of this organization when I say; we are excited and proud that this facility will ensure what is best for each and every player that signs a professional baseball contract with the Seattle Mariners."

The academy is located on 24 acres and will be a residential facility where prospects will live, work out, attend school and develop their baseball skills as they prepare athletically and culturally for baseball careers in the United States.

The academy will include three full-sized fields and one practice field, agility field, covered batting cages, bullpen facilities with six pitchers mounds, dormitory space for up to 80 top prospects, dining hall, classrooms for English language and Spanish literacy instruction and a computer lab.