Redbirds to hose Canaries in exhibition game Saturday

The Luverne Redbirds baseball team will face the Sioux Falls Canaries at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6, for an exhibition game on Redbird Field in Luverne.
The event is sponsored by Take 16 Brewing Co., which is brewing a special craft beer for the Canaries baseball program.
“It’s kind of a fun kick-off for summer,” said Luke Rensink, Take 16 master brewer and general manager.
The Canaries beer, “Birds Brew,” is essentially Take 16’s signature Country Mile Kolsch packaged in a Canaries label.
Some cans will be available at Saturday’s game in Luverne, but the majority will be sold at the Canaries stadium in Sioux Falls.
As part of a marketing deal, Take 16 also purchased advertising on the third base bar for the season.
Rensink is brewing 128 cases (3,072 cans) that will also be available in the Luverne brewery and other regional outlets.
He said proceeds from Saturday’s game will benefit the Luverne Baseball Association, which is the official event host. Tickets cost $5.
LBA board member Don Dinger said the Redbirds will be missing some players who are still finishing college, but they’ll field a complete team for the game.
For both teams, he said it will be a chance to test pitchers’ and players’ abilities ahead of the regular season.
“Basically, it’s a way to bring something cool to town,” Dinger said. “It helps the brewery and it helps us.”
An after-game party in Take 16 will feature a meet-and-greet with Canaries players along with food, games and beverages.