Bandits team up with Chukars at Melaleuca Field

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - There will be baseball in Idaho Falls this Summer.

Melaleuca Field will host at least 40 Idaho Falls Bandits games with opening day set for June 13. The Bandits host Post 6 Cheyanne for a double-header starting at 5 pm.

Bandits head coach Ryan Alexander says he can already see how amped up the players are in practice.

“A lot of relief," Alexander said about his players getting a Legion season.

"Many of which thought that was kind of the end of it, so to get them back out on the baseball field and going out on their terms on the baseball field. That's been exciting. There's an enthusiasm at practice that I don't have to beg for anymore. So there's just a lot of excitement about being able to throw and hit a baseball. That's fantastic.”

The reigning American Legion National Champions will be the main tenants this year at the park.

Chukars President and GM Kevin Greene said if Major League and Minor League Baseball decides to comeback, the Chukars will work around the Bandits schedule for home games.

“Theoretically, we could have tried to do this and say, you've got to work still work around our schedule, it would have hurt them to try and put together the schedule they heard that they put together, they wouldn't have been successful," Greene said.

"So we thought it was important to make an executive decision say take these prime dates. And if we got a baseball season we're gonna have to work around for once. We're gonna have to work around your schedule. And now's the chance we're willing to take because we feel in our heart of hearts that the chance of Chukars baseball is less than 1 in 10.”

Greene voiced his frustration of not knowing much information from MLB. However, he sees a chance to give the Bandits a big league feel.

Concession stands, between inning entertainment, and promotions will happen at the stadium. Capacity is expected to be capped at 900 fans.