(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) - Baseball and fireworks return to Uptown Charlotte on Saturday, July 4th as BB&T Ballpark will play host to the 39th Annual SkyShow presented by News Talk 1110 WBT and 107.9 The Link. With the Charlotte Knights on the road playing the Gwinnett Braves on the Fourth of July, this year's celebration features a friendship series between Team USA and the Cuban Baseball National Team at BB&T Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. with gates opening at 5:00 p.m.



Team USA will begin their five-game series against the Cuban Baseball National Team on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, NC. Local pitchers Bailey Clark (Duke) and Tommy DeJuneas (N.C. State) will join the Team USA roster for the series. Clark is a native of Asheville, NC, while DeJuneas is a native of Charlotte, NC. DeJuneas was a four-year varsity starter at Providence High School and captured a 4-A all-state mention after hitting .424 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 2014 as a senior.



The USA Collegiate National Team roster will also feature Nick Banks (Texas A&M), along with Bryson Brigman (San Diego), Zack Burdi (Louisville), Bobby Dalbec (Arizona), Anfernee Grier (Auburn), Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State), KJ Harrison (Oregon State), Ryan Hendrix (Texas A&M), Tanner Houck (Missouri), Ryan Howard (Missouri), Zach Jackson (Arkansas), Daulton Jefferies (California), Anthony Kay (UCONN), Brendan McKay (Louisville), Stephen Nogosek (Oregon), Chris Okey (Clemson), A.J. Puk (Florida), Corey Ray (Louisville), Buddy Reed (Florida), JJ Schwarz (Florida) Mike Shawaryn (Maryland), Logan Shore (Florida), Matt Thaiss (Virginia), and Robert Tyler (Georgia). Banks was born in Charlotte, NC.



The USA squad will be managed by St. John's head coach Ed Blankmeyer and also includes N.C. State's Elliot Avent, San Diego's Rich Hill, Kentucky's Gary Henderson, LSU's Paul Mainieri, Missouri's Trevor Coleman and N.C. State's Tyler Younger.



After a 16-year hiatus, USA and Cuba resumed a yearly international friendship series in 2012 with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team traveling to Havana for a five-game series. Cuba scored a 3-2 series victory that year. In 2013 (in the U.S.) and 2014 (in Cuba), the host nations each came away with a five-game series sweep. In three years of the renewed rivalry, Cuba leads the series 8-7.

The 39th annual SkyShow presented News Talk 1110 WBT and 107.9 The Link, returns to BB&T Ballpark for the second time in as many seasons and kicks off at 2:00 p.m. with a Skyshow Street Party on Mint Street. This year's edition will once again feature live music, food, local vendors, a beer garden, games, prizes, and more. After the game, fans can enjoy the largest fireworks show in the Southeast presented by Fox 46 Charlotte. More details about SkyShow 2015 can be found online at www.skyshowcharlotte.com.

About USA Baseball

USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, World Cup and Pan Am teams (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women's National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit USABaseball.com.

The Knights return home to BB&T Ballpark on Thursday, July 2 for a three-game, two-day series against the Gwinnett Braves (Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves). The club will play a day-night doubleheader on Friday, July 3 with game one starting at 12:05 p.m. and game two at 7:05 p.m. Single-game tickets for all games this season are available by phone at 704-274-8282, in person at the BB&T Ballpark Ticket Office, or online at charlotteknights.com. Uptown Knights Are Better Than Ever!