Baseball is back at ONEOK Field as the Tulsa Drillers open the 2025 Texas League season with a three-game series this weekend. Tulsa hosts NW Arkansas (Royals), Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m., Sunday at 1:00 p.m. There will be a postgame fireworks show following the Friday night game.

Mike Melega, the president and general manager of the Drillers was on “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” this past Saturday and we talked about the upcoming season, including a day-night double-header that is on the schedule.

“That weekend is Easter, and Easter is not a great day to play a home game, so we got the Dodgers and the Twins, we’re playing the Wichita Wind Surge which is a Twins affiliate, they both agreed to let us play a split double-header on Saturday (April 19), the day before Easter. So, we’ll have a 1:00 game and a 6:00 game, two seven innings, so that will be kind of fun.”

The Drillers have unveiled a new alternate identity for this season.

“For 918 weekend, we try to do this different identity, and we want it to always be something that resonates with Tulsa, either lore, either legend or truth, whatever the case may be,” Melega said. “Apparently, the story is that the Chicken Dance originated at Tulsa Oktoberfest back in the early ‘70s…so for 918 weekend, we’re going celebrate Oktoberfest and play as the Chicken Dancers.”

You must go on the Drillers website and check out the uniforms. Let’s just say they look like lederhosen. That will be May 15-18. The Drillers will also be bringing back the Noodlers identity this season, as well.

Tulsa will have a new manager this season, as Scott Hennessey has been promoted by the Dodgers to their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City. Hennessey spent seven seasons with the Drillers and did a great job, leading the team to the Texas League Championship in

“We’re very bummed out that he is no longer our manager, but at the same time, we’re excited for him,” Melega said. “It’s a great opportunity for him, especially in the Dodgers organization. For Scott to be able to go up to Oklahoma City and have more exposure to Dave Roberts, the manager of the Dodgers, and Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations, he’ll be more connected to the Major League level. They call guys up and down with Oklahoma City all the time, so it’s a great opportunity for Scott and for his career.”

Hennessey will surely be missed, but the Dodgers have hired an excellent replacement to take over as manager of the Drillers.

“The Dodgers couldn’t have done us more solid, then to give us probably one of the most experienced managers to come to a minor league team,” Melega said. “I can’t imagine anyone has come [to this level] in the last 50 years with more managerial experience than Eric Wedge. He has ten years of managing in Major League Baseball and he is a super, super guy. We’re really excited about the experience he’s going to bring to the team.”

Wedge was a Major League Baseball catcher for parts of four seasons with Boston and Colorado (1991-1994). He was a manager for five seasons in the Cleveland Indians minor league system, before been named the manager of the Indians prior to the 2003 season. Wedge spent seven seasons at the helm of the Indians (2003–2009) and then was the manager of the Seattle Mariners for three seasons (2011–2013). He was named American League Manger of the Year in 2007, after leading Cleveland to the World Series.

Previous to being hired by the Dodgers this offseason, Wedge had been the head coach for his alma mater Wichita State baseball team for three seasons (2020-2022). He has family in Wichita and lives there, so Tulsa is a good fit for him.

“He’s excited to get back in [pro baseball] and he’s excited to learn,” Melega said. “The Dodgers have such an advanced player development system. He’s excited to learn that and meld that with the experience that he brings to the table, which I think is great for us.”

It should be a fun season out at ONEOK Field. For more information on the Drillers tickets and upcoming promotions, visit the team’s website; www.tulsadrillers.com.

TULSA BEACON RADIO

Tune in to “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” radio show every week, featuring interviews with local and national level guests, talking about everything from politics to family issues. My guests this week will be Travis Guillory from Theater Tulsa, and Channing Harris and Mary Ellen Evans from Emergency Infant Services. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.