EXPLORERS RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR 2022 SEASON
Division Realignment, Postseason Structure Change and More for 2022
Sioux City, IA (11/10/21) — The Sioux City Explorers have their schedule for the 2022 American Association season, which also marks the 30th year for the Explorers franchise. Once again the Explorers will play a 100 game schedule over the course of 116 days.
Sioux City will begin their season on Friday, May 13th when they visit the defending champion, Kansas City Monarchs.
The Explorers will open their home schedule that following Tuesday, May 17th as they welcome the inaugural meeting with the Lake Country DockHounds, the newest franchise to the American Association, based out of Oconomowoc, WI.
Once again the season will conclude on Labor Day, September 5th, when the Explorers play host to the Lincoln Saltdogs.
One of the key changes in the American Association this season will be the new East-West divisional format. Gone is the previous North-South alignment. The Explorers now reside in the West, alongside the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Kansas City Monarchs, Lincoln Saltdogs, Sioux Falls Canaries and the Winnipeg Goldeyes. The East Division will comprise the Cleburne Railroaders, Chicago Dogs, Gary SouthShore RailCats, Kane County Cougars, Lake Country DockHounds and the Milwaukee Milkmen.
Each team will face their divisional opponents twice at home and twice on the road. And will see the opposite division once at home and once on the road.
The postseason structure has also received a facelift for the 2022 season. The top four teams in each division will receive a bid for the playoffs. As a reward for winning the division, that team will choose which of the other three playoff contestants within it’s division they wish to play in a three game Division Playoff Series.
The second round Division Championship series will also be a best-of-three series with the winners meeting in the Miles Wolff Cup Finals which will be extended to a five-game-series with the winner being crowned American Association Champion.
An All-Star Game will return in 2022. The game itself will be played on July 12th. The All-Star break will consist of three days from July 11th-July 13th.