MADISON – In what will likely become a historic footnote that will possibly stand in the foreseeable future in Rocket City Trash Pandas lore, the home team just finished an unforeseen 17-game homestand to end the first half of the 2024 Southern League season.

The long stretch was an anomaly, forced because the Mississippi Braves home field of Trustmark Park in the city of Pearl was deemed unplayable for Double-A professional baseball.

So, while the Trash Pandas were coming off the usual six-game home series at Toyota Field and prepared to play the usual first-half six following on the road, the two teams had to retreat to Madison where they played a five-game set.

Another scheduled home series with the Biloxi Shuckers followed for the Trash Pandas, resulting in the 17-game oddity. The friendly confines of Toyota Field, hard against the Madison-Huntsville dividing line, proved indifferent  to the results. After defeating struggling Chattanooga in 5-of-6 games, Rocket City lost the next 7-of-9 against the Magnolia State duo for a 7-10 total, including losing two straight.

That was then, this is now as Rocket City resets for the second half with a road trip to Chattanooga before a three-game set with first-half winner Birmingham to extend the road trip with a split series where the next three games are played in Madison.

The Trash Pandas will host the Barons for those trio of games beginning July 4 with Independence Day setting off three straight nights of fireworks.