LOVES PARK, Ill. – The Rockford RiverHawks will open their first season in the independent Northern League against a new regional rival.

The RiverHawks announced their 2010 schedule Monday. Their ninth season in the Stateline begins with a four-game series against the Schaumburg Flyers. Opening Night is 7:05 p.m. Thursday, May 20 at Road Ranger Stadium. The homestand continues the following three nights.

Standard gametimes remain the same: 7:05 p.m. weeknights, 6:05 p.m. Saturdays and 4:05 p.m. Sundays. In recent polling at the team website, an overwhelming majority of fans – 95 percent of 1,086 total voters – preferred the early Sunday starting time.

The Northern League has scheduled a 100-game season. Both the NL and the Frontier League, the RiverHawks’ previous circuit, had 96-game schedules in 2009.

The Northern League’s membership includes four regional rivals – Schaumburg, the Joliet Jackhammers, the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the expansion Lake County Fielders. Each will play at least a half-dozen games at Road Ranger Stadium. The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Kansas City T-Bones and Winnipeg Goldeyes are the league’s other teams.

Notable points on the schedule include a three-game homestand during the Independence Day weekend, July 2-4, a 10-game homestand July 27-Aug. 5 and a seven-game homestand to close the home schedule Aug. 26-Sept. 2.

2009 Rockford RiverHawks Schedule

Home Games in bold. Home start times are 7:05 p.m. Monday-Friday; 6:05 Saturday; 4:05 Sunday. Doubleheaders 6:05 p.m. weeknights; same as normal start times weekends unless noted otherwise. All times CDT. Unusual start times are underlined.

DAY             DATE          TIME              OPPONENT

Thursday     May 20        7:05 p.m.         Schaumburg

Friday          May 21        7:05 p.m.         Schaumburg

Saturday      May 22        6:05 p.m.         Schaumburg

Sunday         May 23        4:05 p.m.         Schaumburg

Monday        May 24         11:00 a.m.        Gary

Tuesday        May 25         11:00 a.m.        Gary

Wednesday May 26        11:05 a.m.       Gary

Thursday     May 27        7:05 p.m.         Gary

Friday          May 28        7:05 p.m.         Winnipeg

Saturday      May 29        6:05 p.m.         Winnipeg

Sunday         May 30        4:05 p.m.         Winnipeg

Monday        May 31         5:10 p.m.          Joliet

Tuesday        June 1           6:10 p.m.          Joliet

Wednesday   June 2           11:10 a.m.        Joliet

Thursday       June 3           7:10 p.m.          Joliet

Friday          June 4          7:05 p.m.         Fargo-Moorhead

Saturday      June 5          6:05 p.m.         Fargo-Moorhead

Sunday         June 6          4:05 p.m.         Fargo-Moorhead

Monday        June 7                                   off day

Tuesday       June 8          7:05 p.m.         Gary

Wednesday  June 9          7:05 p.m.         Gary

Thursday       June 10         7:00 p.m.          Gary

Friday          June 11        7:05 p.m.         Joliet

Saturday      June 12        6:05 p.m.         Joliet

Sunday         June 13        4:05 p.m.         Joliet

Monday        June 14         7:00 p.m.          Schaumburg

Tuesday        June 15         7:00 p.m.          Schaumburg

Wednesday   June 16         7:00 p.m.          Schaumburg

Thursday      June 17                                 off day

Friday           June 18         7:00 p.m.          Gary

Saturday        June 19         6:00 p.m.          Gary

Sunday          June 20         2:00 p.m.          Gary

Monday       June 21        7:05 p.m.         Fargo-Moorhead

Tuesday       June 22        7:05 p.m.         Fargo-Moorhead

Wednesday  June 23        7:05 p.m.         Fargo-Moorhead

Thursday       June 24         7:00 p.m.          Winnipeg

Friday           June 25         7:00 p.m.          Winnipeg

Saturday        June 26         6:00 p.m.          Winnipeg

Sunday          June 27         1:30 p.m.          Winnipeg

Monday        June 28         7:02 p.m.          Fargo-Moorhead

Tuesday        June 29         7:02 p.m.          Fargo-Moorhead

Wednesday   June 30         7:02 p.m.          Fargo-Moorhead

Thursday       July 1            12:30 p.m.        Fargo-Moorhead

Friday          July 2           7:05 p.m.         Schaumburg

Saturday      July 3           6:05 p.m.         Lake County

Sunday         July 4           4:05 p.m.         Lake County

Monday        July 5            7:00 p.m.          Schaumburg

Tuesday        July 6            7:00 p.m.          Schaumburg