PORTLAND – The Portland Sea Dogs released their schedule for the 2004 season Tuesday.

The Sea Dogs will open the season with a seven-game road trip beginning April 8 in Altoona, Pa.

After a three-game set in New Britain, Portland will return to Hadlock Field for its home-opener on April 15 against the Binghamton Mets.

The regular season will conclude with a four-game series against the Eastern League’s newest team, Manchester.

The first series against Manchester, which moved to New Hampshire after playing 10 years in New Haven, Conn., will be at Gill Stadium on May 28-31.

Manchester will visit Hadlock Field for the first time a week later.

The Sea Dogs will have three seven-game homestands while the longest road trip is a 10-game swing through Binghamton, Erie and Manchester June 18-27.

Individual game tickets will go on sale on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 9 a.m. at the Hadlock Field box office. Phone and Internet orders will be taken beginning on Oct. 27.

Sox honor four Dogs

Four players who spent time with the Sea Dogs during the 2003 season were recognized during a ceremony at Fenway Park last weekend.

Pitcher Jorge De La Rosa was named as Double-A Pitcher of Year.

The left-hander went 6-3 with a 2.80 earned run average before being promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on Aug. 9.

Kelly Shoppach earned Player of the Year honors after hitting .282 with 12 home runs and 60 RBIs in 92 games for Portland.

The 23-year-old catcher joined Pawtucket for the International League playoffs and will likely start next season with the PawSox.

Charlie Zink and John Hattig, who both finished the season with the Sea Dogs, were named Class-A Sarasota’s Pitcher and Player of the Year.

Zink, who came within one out of a no-hitter on the final weekend of the season against New Haven, was 7-9 with a 3.90 ERA after converting to a knuckleballer in spring training.

Hattig hit .294 with six homers and 70 RBIs before earning a late-season call-up.

Top Cat

New Britain’s Joe Mauer has been tabbed as Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America.

The 20-year-old catcher hit .339 with five homers and 85 RBIs between Class-A Fort Myers and the Rock Cats.

After falling 12 games below the .500 mark, the Rock Cats went 48-31 with Mauer (.341, 4-41) in the line-up and edged out the Sea Dogs for the final Northern Division playoff spot.

Former Sea Dog pitcher Josh Beckett won the award in 2001.

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