Visalia, CA - The Visalia Rawhide announced today the 2018 season will be the "Year of the Cowbell" at Rawhide Ballpark. The year-long celebration will be held to celebrate the tenth year since the Visalia franchise re-branded as the Rawhide.

A key feature of the announcement is the construction of America's Largest Cowbell, which will be accessible to fans during the 2018 season on the Rawhide concourse.

"2018 is a monumental year for us because we've now been the Rawhide for ten years," said Rawhide General Manager Jennifer (Pendergraft) Reynolds. "Under the Rawhide brand, Recreation Park has undergone huge renovations that bring our fan experience up to the highest standards in Minor League Baseball, making the Rawhide brand synonymous with positive change in the local baseball community. This year, we are celebrating that achievement and inviting all of our fans to join the party."

Since the Rawhide brand was introduced in 2009, Recreation Park has received numerous upgrades. Most recently, the Rawhide and City of Visalia partnered to install a new playing surface in 2017, which was named the California League Field of the Year. The Rawhide also made a complete renovation of the Kids Corral, surfacing it with artificial turf and painting the turf in the style of a whiffle ball field. Furthermore, the club purchased dilapidated buildings directly adjacent from the ballpark and had them torn down to add more parking for fans. Last season, Visalia hosted the California League All-Star Game for the first time in 28 years, which brought visitors and business from across the state to Visalia on June 19 and 20.

The Year of the Cowbell will also include promotional giveaways and special benefits for Rawhide Season Ticket Holders. Fans interested in becoming season ticket holders may inquire by emailing Rawhide Director of Ticketing Heather Dominquez at [email protected]

"We continue to generate great support from this community, and we thought that it would be in line with true Visalia fashion to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Rawhide by constructing a five-foot-tall cowbell - another nod to the dairy and agriculture industry which our county hangs its hat on," said Rawhide President Tom Seidler. "We hope that our fans and the local community will enjoy the celebration as much as we will during the 2018 season.

The Rawhide begin the 2018 season on April 5 with a seven-game homestand and a series against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Advanced-A, Los Angeles Dodgers). Season tickets and all ticket plans are now available for purchase on Rawhidebaseball.com or by calling 559-732-4433.