Historic night at Werner Park ends with a Storm Chaser victory

George Brett, Bob Gibson and Jeff Suppan chat in the
Storm Chasers' dugout before the game.

The Omaha Storm Chasers got a strong effort from their starting pitcher Danny Duffy and got just enough offense to win their inaugural game at Werner Park 2-1 against Nashville in front of 6,533 fans.

Duffy was on a strict pitch count limit (he threw 76 pitches), so he had to be removed one out shy of qualifying for the win (he pitched 4.2 innings). His final line was impressive though: 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB and 7 Ks.

Everett Teaford, Luis Mendoza, Blaine Hardy, Jesse Chavez and Luis Coleman combined to only allow one earned run over the final 4.1 innings. Chavez got the win. Coleman picked up the save.

New schedule of events for the home opener at Werner Park

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Free Fan Fest. Storm Chaser players will be available to sign autographs and the ballpark will be open for fans to explore.

4:00 pm: Tailgate party in parking lot F4 (the northwest lot) in a tent with live music, food and drinks.

5:15 pm: Ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by the opening of the gates.

6:30 pm: Pregame celebration, scheduled to include Storm Chasers owners Bill Shea, Warren Buffett and Walter Scott, Team President Alan Stein, MLB Hall of Famer George Brett, Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner, Pacific Coast League President Branch B. Rickey, local elected officials and many more. The National Anthem will be performed by Omaha native and recent American Idol contestant Tim Halperin.

Planned events at Werner Park for the home opener

Weather permitting, here’s a rundown of the planned events at Werner Park this afternoon and tonight for the Storm Chasers home opener:

• Gates open at 5:30 pm. Although if you are hoping to get a free parking spot (Lot F4), it sounds like you might want to get there closer to 4:00 pm. Game time is 7:05 pm.

• Additional free parking opens at Papillion-La Vista South High School (108^th & HWY 370) with shuttles departing for Werner Park every 10 minutes.

• There will be a party tent on the grounds with live music, food and drinks.

• The first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive Werner Park welcome mats.

Several thousand get a sneak peek at Werner Park

The work at Werner Park is estimated to be 90-95% complete

An estimated crowd of 3,000 people braved 30 degree temperatures to take advantage of the Werner Park Sneak Peak from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday.

Storm Chaser fans went out in groups of 25 on 20-minute tours of the park. They had a chance to see the video board going up, to visit the various suites, to hear about the nuances of the park and to ask questions.

Everything might be new, but the Storm Chasers plan to keep strong ties to the past.