JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s been a long time coming, but playoff baseball is officially back in Jacksonville, and fans are ready.
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are hosting the International League Championship Series (ILCS) this week at VyStar Ballpark, with a best-of-three matchup against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Game 1 is Tuesday at 7:05 p.m., with Game 2 on Wednesday and a potential Game 3 on Thursday — all three games taking place in Jacksonville after the Jumbo Shrimp clinched home-field advantage by winning the league’s first-half title earlier this season.
This marks the team’s first postseason appearance since 2017 and the city’s first time hosting a Triple-A playoff series since 1968.
“It’s a really awesome thing for the city,” said Evens Blanc, a Jacksonville University graduate who is visiting from Texas. “It just speaks to how much Jacksonville has grown and continues to grow.”
RELATED | Jumbo Shrimp to host first home playoff games in over a decade
Blanc said even outside Florida, Jacksonville is gaining attention.
“Even in Texas, I hear a lot about Jacksonville — from the new stadium to the Jaguars and all the improvements downtown,” he said. “The city is on a roll right now, and this just adds to the story and the evolution of Jacksonville, which is great to see as a… Jacksonvillian? Is that what they call us outside the city?”
This week’s championship series is another milestone for a franchise that was promoted to Triple-A status in 2021. Jacksonville last hosted a Triple-A postseason game in 1968, when the Jacksonville Suns — then affiliated with the New York Mets — won the league title.
Chloe Vinchattle, a Jacksonville native, said the playoff atmosphere is giving locals another reason to take pride in their city — and to show it off.
“It does make Jacksonville look good,” she said. “We have a lot of awesome restaurants, a lot of local venues that would be really fun to check out. You can have a good time and watch the Jumbo Shrimp.”
Should the Jumbo Shrimp win the ILCS, they would advance to the Triple-A National Championship — a one-game title match set for Saturday in Las Vegas.
Tickets for all home games are available at jaxshrimp.com.