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By Leah Garritt Opening Day is coming up soon for our Falmouth Commodores, and with it comes the beginning of a summer full of excitement. The Commodores are an integral part of this town’s community, and have been for many years; no Falmouth summer is truly complete without at least one family trip to Guv Fuller Field. The Dores’ organization has a strong sense of commitment to Falmouth, seeking to strengthen the relationship between town and team by creating spaces for them to interact both on and off the field each year. In addition to the 44 baseball games played during the regular season, some of which will have special nights dedicated to the recognition of key groups, the Commodores will be involved in various events within the Falmouth community, such as the St. Barnabas Strawberry Festival and a special Baseball Sunday church service at the Waquoit Congregational Church. For any curious parties, here’s a rundown of this year’s recognition nights and other community events. Recognition nights happen during home games, with pregame ceremonies held to honor certain groups throughout the season. This season’s recognition nights are Commodores Scholarship Recipients Recognition Night on June 20; Scouts Recognition Night on June 26; Military Appreciation Night on June 30; Travis Miller Recognition Night on June 11; Host Family Recognition Night and Cape Cod 5 Sponsor Night on July 21; Intern Recognition Night on July 24; and Bat Kids Recognition Night on July 26. Additionally, there will be other nights when community organizations or team sponsors make an appearance at Guv Fuller. This year, there will be nights dedicated to the town’s Youth Baseball organization, the St. Joseph’s Men’s Club, the College Light Opera Company, Cancer Prevention Education, Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank, Morse Pond Middle School, and the Falmouth Newcomers Club, among others. Lastly, two home games will be streamed on NESN this season—these games will air at 7 PM on June 25 and 26. A detailed schedule for the summer’s events can be found on the Falmouth Commodores’ home page, in the section titled Special Nights. Community events mostly happen outside the diamond, with the Commodores venturing into Falmouth’s common spaces in order to connect with the town’s residents in a more interpersonal way. This community outreach is done by the players, who come from NCAA colleges all across the country, as well as the team’s interns. This summer, the Commodores’ in-community events will be the Strawberry Festival at St. Barnabas Church, Baseball Sunday at Waquoit Congregational Church, and Touch a Truck at Falmouth High School, as well as field days at Morse Pond, North Falmouth, and Teaticket elementary schools. The Strawberry Festival, occurring on June 17, is a Falmouth tradition in which the town gathers on the St. Barnabas lawn to play games, listen to live music, and eat strawberry shortcake. Baseball Sunday, occurring on June 18, is a special baseball-themed church service held by Reverend Nell Fields. Touch a Truck, occurring on June 25, is a car show which arranges a variety of trucks as an interactive display for children. Commodores players will be in attendance, along with first responders and members of the police force. The proceeds from this event will benefit Tommy’s Place, a Massachusetts-based charity organization that works to combat children’s cancer. The Commodores will also host a community event of their own at Guv Fuller Field this summer. There will be a Centennial celebration held on July 15 to commemorate a hundred years of Commodores history; the celebration runs from 3 PM to 5:30 PM and will feature games, food trucks, live music, and an autograph session with the players. After the festivities, the Commodores will take on the Chatham A’s at 6 PM. Finally, the Falmouth Road Race will take place on August 20. The Commodores will be represented by 12-year-old Travis Miller, who will be running on their behalf to raise funds for the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Hall of Fame Museum. Donations to this fundraising campaign can be made on Travis’ website. The Commodores’ season opener is on Saturday, June 10, at Guv Fuller Field. The first pitch will be thrown at 6 PM. Visit www.FalmouthCommodores.com for a list of this season’s games.