Centennial Park down by the river is a great place to spend your after school hours! We've got an outdoor skateboard park, basketball courts, and a concession stand offering snacks and refreshments for only $1!

With early school out days every Wednesday, it's a great place for your kids to spend an afternoon!  The concession stand will open early on school out days and early dismissal days.

Normal concession stand hours:

Tuesday 4-8,

Wednesday 2-8,

Thursday 4-8,

Friday 4-8,

Sat 12-8,

Sun 12-8

(Open early hours on school out and early dismissal days)

Quad Cities will open Midwest League Championship Wednesday in South Bend

BELOIT, Wis. (SEPT. 9, 2013) - With their season hanging in the balance in the decisive Game 3 of the Midwest League Western Division final, the Quad Cities River Bandits matched a season high with 17 hits and pounded the Beloit Snappers for a 9-5 win at Pohlman Field Monday night that sent the visitors to their second Midwest League Championship Series in three seasons.

The River Bandits won the best-of-three series, two games to one, and advanced to a best-of-five championship with the South Bend Silver Hawks, who won 9-5 at home over the Fort Wayne TinCaps in Game 3 of the Eastern Division final Monday night. Quad Cities will play Games 1 and 2 at Four Winds Field in South Bend Wednesday and Thursday. Game 3 will be at 7 p.m. Saturday at Modern Woodmen Park, and tickets will be available at the River Bandits box office, by phone at 563-324-3000 and at www.riverbandits.com beginning Tuesday at 9 a.m. If necessary, Games 4 and 5 would also be at Modern Woodmen Park on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Quad Cities took a lead in the second inning against Snappers right-hander Derek DeYoung (0-1). First baseman Bobby Borchering broke an 0-for-12 postseason start with a single to left-center field. Third baseman Rio Ruiz lifted a two-run home run - his second of the playoffs - just to the left of the batter's eye in center field for a 2-0 lead. In the third inning, center fielder Teoscar Hernandez led off with his first postseason home run, and shortstop Carlos Correa followed with his first of the playoffs to cap the first pair of back-to-back home runs by the River Bandits this season. After left fielder Danry Vasquez drew a walk, DeYoung was removed for right-hander Trevor Bayless, who allowed another run to score after walking Ruiz, who made a delayed break for second with two outs, allowing Vasquez to score on a double steal when the throw went past second base.

With a 5-0 lead, right-hander Daniel Minor (1-0), who struck out four batters in the first two innings, allowed a leadoff, third-inning home run by Snappers shortstop Sam Roberts. Minor then retired six straight batters before center fielder Brett Vertigan and catcher Nick Rickles hit consecutive doubles to start the fifth inning. In his first postseason outing, Minor allowed six hits, no walks and two earned runs, and he matched season highs with six strikeouts in six innings.

Seven River Bandits had multi-hit games to amass 17 hits - matching their regular season high set April 6 at Kane County. Quad Cities built its lead by scoring in five straight innings. Already with a 5-1 lead in the fourth, designated hitter Brian Blasik doubled and scored on Correa's RBI groundout. In the fifth, Borchering had his third hit with a leadoff double against Bayless, and right fielder Jordan Scott hit an RBI double for a 7-1 lead. Borchering and Scott had team highs with three hits apiece. Scott finished a home run shy of the cycle.

In the sixth, Hernandez hit a one-out single, and Correa drove an RBI triple down the right-field line. Vasquez then hit an RBI single for a 9-2 advantage. Right-hander Juan Minaya inherited that lead to start the seventh but allowed the first four batters of the eighth to reach safely, and the Snappers closed within 9-5. Left-hander Mitchell Lambson worked around two hits in the final two scoreless innings.

Monday's victory means The Captain's Table at 4801 River Drive in Moline will offer The Captain's Table Victory Discount on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Anyone who mentions the River Bandits victory can receive a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two lunches or dinners with beverages on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

UP NEXT: Tickets for the 2013 Midwest League Championship Series will go on sale Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at  563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 112 feet over the playing field, is planned for next spring, along with a carousel and other new games and attractions. This season, the team just unveiled a new 300-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. The team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, just saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The playoffs will likely be the last chance for Quad Cities fans to see 2012 No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa and many other future stars in a River Bandits uniform.

*****

Forward Back for Second Season After Standout Rookie Campaign

MOLINE, Ill. (September 9, 2013) - The Quad City Mallards have re-signed forward Mike Stinziani, the Mallards announced today.

"Mike was a big part of our team last year and is going to be an even bigger part this year," said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski.  "He can score goals, he's strong on the power play and he's got great speed.  We're banking on his talent, credibility and character and we're going to count on him even more this year"

Stinziani, 24, finished last season second among Central Hockey League rookies in goals (26), tied for second among first year players in points (51) and fourth among rookies in assists (25).  He was also the Mallards' second leading goal scorer and finished third on the team in point scoring.

The Montreal native completed his first professional campaign on a high note when he was named CHL Second Star for the month of March after scoring seven goals and totaling twelve points while helping propel the Mallards to a league-best 11-2-0 record in March.

The 5' 9", 205-pound Stinziani joined the Mallards after scoring 12 goals, picking up 31 assists and producing 43 points in 27 games with Concordia University in Montreal in 2011-12.  He finished third nationwide in both assists and points in what was his second university season.  For his efforts, Stinziani was named to the 2011-12 Ontario University Athletics East second all-star team.  Stinziani first took the ice for the Stingers in 2010-11, scoring eight goals and ringing up 17 points in just a dozen games.

Stinziani headed to Concordia after spending five seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  He scored 58 times and recorded 148 points in 269 career junior games with the Gatineau Olympiques, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Prince Edward Island Rocket.   In 2008 Stinziani helped the Olympiques to the QMJHL President's Cup title.

The Mallards will open their seventeenth season- and their fourth in the CHL- when they host the Rapid City Rush on Saturday night, October 19.  Mallards 2013-14 season tickets as well as half season tickets and flex packs are now on sale.  The Mallards offer ticket packages to meet any budget and season ticket holders also receive a host of additional benefits, including a unique season ticket holder Mallards jersey.  More ticket package information is available by calling the Mallards at 309-277-1364 or emailing info@myqcmallards.com.

About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are approaching their seventeenth season and their fourth in the Central Hockey League.  One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10.  The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record.  In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched.  The i wireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club.  For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.com.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards. 

Beloit will host Quad Cities Monday night to decide Midwest League Western Division Championship

BELOIT, Wis. (SEPT. 8, 2013) - Beloit Snappers second baseman Christopher Bostick hit a two-run home run in the first inning to put his team ahead to stay and finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs in a 4-3 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits in Game 2 of the Midwest League Western Division final at Pohlman Field Sunday night.

Beloit tied the best-of-three series at one game apiece and forced Game 3 at its home ballpark at 6:30 p.m. Monday, when the winner will advance to the Midwest League Championship. River Bandits right-hander Daniel Minor (8-3) is scheduled to face Snappers right-hander Derek DeYoung (8-5). Sunday's loss ended a string of 10 straight postseason victories for Quad Cities.

The Snappers jumped to a lead against right-hander Zach Morton (0-1) in the first inning, as left fielder Aaron Shipman hit a leadoff single, and Bostick hit the first pitch he saw with one out over the left-field fence for his second postseason home run and a 2-0 Snappers lead. Later in the inning, Morton allowed consecutive two-out singles by third baseman Renato Nunez, right fielder John Wooten and center fielder Brett Vertigan, whose hit scored Nunez but ended with Wooten being thrown out between third and second bases.

Trailing 3-0, the River Bandits came back against right-hander Kyle Finnegan in the second inning. Third baseman Rio Ruiz drew a leadoff walk and reached third base on two groundouts. First baseman Jobduan Morales walked ahead of designated hitter Brian Blasik, who beat out a ground ball to the right side for an infield RBI single. Second baseman Tony Kemp lined a single to right field that scored Morales, but center fielder Teoscar Hernandez grounded out to end the inning with a 3-2 deficit.

Bostick helped the Snappers respond in the second inning, when Morton allowed two walks before Bostick lined a two-out RBI single to left field for a 4-2 Snappers advantage. Morton went 1 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits with two walks and one strikeout. Right-hander Jamaine Cotton struck out first baseman Matt Olson on the way to starting 3 1/3 hitless innings of relief.

Finnegan left after walking the first two batters in the third. Right-hander Deyvi Jimenez entered and got a flyout and double play, but he allowed a leadoff bunt single by right fielder Jordan Scott in the fourth, when Kemp drew a walk, and Hernandez reached on an RBI infield single. Shortstop Carlos Correa walked to load the bases and force Jimenez out of the game. Left-hander Chris Lamb faced left fielder Danry Vasquez but threw a pitch in the dirt, and Kemp was tagged out trying to score on the final play of the inning, keeping the home team's lead at 4-3. It was the final time Quad Cities had the tying run at third base, as the visitors left 10 runners on base.

Quad Cities got two scoreless innings from left-hander J.D. Osborne and one shutout frame from right-hander Patrick Christensen to finish a 6 1/3-inning scoreless effort by the bullpen. Beloit used Lamb for 1 1/3 innings, then Kris Hall for a scoreless sixth inning, and right-hander Nolan Sanburn for two scoreless innings, although he worked out of a first-and-second, no-out jam in the eighth by getting a forceout on a bunt attempt and inducing a ground-ball double play. Right-hander Austin House allowed Hernandez to reach on a Nunez error in the ninth inning, but Vasquez struck out swinging with the tying run at second base to end the game.