Charleston RiverDogs Season Preview: Live at the MPCC Expo

You can feel it when a local team isn’t just playing games, it’s building a community calendar. From the floor of a bustling expo, we sit down with Keith Millick from the Charleston RiverDogs to talk about what happens after a season ends and how a club keeps its momentum rolling into the next year. The 2026 schedule is out, and Keith makes it clear they’re not going anywhere. 

We get practical about offseason engagement and what the RiverDogs ballpark can be beyond minor league baseball. Think social media updates that actually tell you what’s happening, plus real event options at the stadium like the Segra Club for weddings, seminars, and business meetings. Keith even shares how groups have rented the whole stadium for creative team days, proof that this venue can flex for Charleston corporate events and community gatherings. 

Then we shift to the on-field pipeline and the bigger baseball ecosystem. Keith breaks down the RiverDogs’ role as a Low-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and why the MLB draft is a yearly spark for new talent and new storylines. We also talk about what fans really come for: entertainment, traditions, family-friendly nights, and a ballpark experience that keeps attendance strong across the Carolina League. 

If you’ve been looking for a reason to plan a RiverDogs night, or a new place to host your next group outing, this conversation points you in the right direction. Subscribe, share this with a Charleston friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s your favorite minor league ballpark memory?

This is a grounded guide for founders, contractors, agency owners, manufacturers, and service leaders across Charleston and beyond who want a no-nonsense path to an exit. We share red flags that can sink deals, the role of local market knowledge, and how Viking’s success-based model aligns incentives. Join us, get practical next steps, and walk away knowing exactly how to make your future sale smoother.
www.vikingmergers.com

Presenting Sponsor: Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce

Studio Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions

Episode Sponsor: Viking Mergers & Acquisitions

Expo Podcast Sponsor: ‪Pollen Social‬

Production Sponsor: RMBO.co

Design Sponsor: DK Design

Interested in Sponsorship? Click here.

Committee:
Kathleen Herrmann | Host | MPCC Past President | Mount Pleasant Towne Centre
Mike Compton | Co-host | Podcast Committee | RMBO.co
Rebecca Imholz | Co-host | MPCC Executive Director 
Amanda Bunting Comen | Co-host | MPCC Marketing & Communications
Benjamin Nesvold | Co-host | MPCC President | Edward Jones

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Welcome to the Building Business Podcast. This is Mike Johnson.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

I'm with Stephanie Barrow.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

And here we are today with Keith.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Yes, Keith. I love it. Keith Millick with Charleston River Dog.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Charleston River Dog. My first day basically. There we go. There we go.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

Everybody knows Keith.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Everybody knows.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Like Madonna.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

So what brought you the expo today?

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Brought us the expo. We're trying to not really sell anything today. We're just trying to get the word out about our 2026 season. We just concluded our 2025 year. Alright. Unfortunately, we didn't make the playoffs and the 21 through the 24 season. We did make the playoffs, so it's a little bit of a change. Right. Having our off-season start so abruptly. So we're just trying to get the word out. Our schedule released last week. Right. So we're just trying to let no people know that we're not going anywhere. We're still here, even though it may get a little bit colder as the winter season approaches and the hockey season approaches. But we're still here ready for hot weather starting up in April with our nice season.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

How can our listeners engage with y'all in the off season? What do you guys do?

SPEAKER_02 2:15

They can follow

Meet Keith And The RiverDogs

SPEAKER_02 2:15

our social media accounts to start off with, just simple, basic, while you're on your phone and sitting in your bed. You can see what we've got going on at the ballpark. Although we're a baseball team, we're also in an event area.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

You can rent the space.

SPEAKER_02 2:28

Yes, correct. We have our Sega Club, which seems like we're well aware of. Yes. Our Segra Club, we have weddings, we've got seminars, business meetings that people rent out the Sega Club for. If you want to go way out of the uh you can rent out the whole stadium. We've had a couple groups rent out the stadium, turn it into like a water day. I can't remember what company it was a couple years ago. They had water balloons, just they were just filling up water balloons. We had to work it. We were kind of bummed that we had to work it, but it turned into be a really fun company.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

We've definitely been at multiple corporate events where they rent the booth and all that kind of thing. But I did see Charlie walking around.

SPEAKER_02 3:07

Yep, Charlie was definitely here. He had to go back to the go back home for a little bit. He had some boat. Chelsea.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

Chelsea, Chelsea and Charlie. Got it. Okay. We have the lovies at home of them.

Offseason Events Beyond Baseball

SPEAKER_02 3:19

We had a bubble head giveaway of them this year. Oh, yeah. So it was nice to get that out.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

So what are you excited about 2026? What are you excited about next season? You got some heavy hitters coming into play?

SPEAKER_02 3:34

We'll have the draft uh in the beginning of the summer. So uh I know we had our first round pick, it was really young. Right. So they didn't they didn't come to us, they were still in the rookie league. I think they're like 17 or 18 years old. We draft a guy out of high school. Wow. Uh so obviously we're looking forward to the draft every year to get some big names, to draw some fans, uh, see some quality baseball at the ballpark. And then we're just looking to entertain the crowd. Obviously, not everybody cares about the gang when they come. We're just there to get a game.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

I like the Simba moment myself. Simba? Especially when you have the dog, the dog line. I've done the dog Simba. It's good, it's a fun time.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

Um tell the listeners a little bit about uh where we are, like within the MLS. Are we a feeder team?

SPEAKER_02 4:16

Yes, we are affiliated with uh Major League Tampa Bay Double, not the double rays, they used to be named the double rays, Tampa Bay Rays. Yeah. Uh so we are low A. So we got low A, high A, double A, triple A. So we're we're at the little bit of the bottom of the wrong. Not

Draft Hopes And Fan Entertainment

SPEAKER_02 4:30

independent, but we still provide a great product. Yeah, for sure. Uh we had the highest attendance in all the Carolina League this year.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Nice, nice.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

I have a really good time. I feel like every single year I take photos in that big chair, so then I can look back and be like, oh, she looks taller, she looks taller.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Yeah, a little measuring stick. Just a little measuring stick. No, it's a great spot.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

It's a great spot. It's beautiful on the water with the sunset, stunning.

SPEAKER_02 4:52

You have a for on top of that. Ashley View Pub when the sunsets, you can see it. The moon as well.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

So I used to live in Tampa, you say it, so you know. Uh I how is their stadium right now?

SPEAKER_02 5:03

Tampa, it's not in it's not in good shape. I have not heard anything. Spring training, I heard it was the last thing I heard was the spring training facility. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Tampa

Rays Affiliation And Ballpark Pride

SPEAKER_02 5:14

um can't recall the name. Yankees. Yeah. The Tampa training. Yeah, Simon Field. Simoner Field, yep. So that's where they are. That I mean, that was just obviously nothing they could have planned for. That was gonna happen with just the timeline was just way too short to do anything substantial.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Luckily, that's there too, the Yankees city's there. What a cool spot too. Yes, it is. Uh nice little stadium uh where the Yankees do spring training.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

So you follow? Uh that's cool.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Um I love the River Dogs. I'm excited. So my husband always rents a booth with his company. Oh really? And it's oh yeah, every year. Because it's a big, it's it's very family friendly. So they rent it, the open bar, everybody can eat, the kids are eating the chicken fingers indoors, the fireworks happening. It's really great for businesses, I think, as like a as an outing, you know? Team building, family friendly, everybody invited type in a celebrate and interviewing. Celebrate, oh that's true. I think he asked me to prom. You know when we had the AMA prom back in the day?

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Oh, I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Okay, so Matthew had never been to the prom. And so he asked me to go with him to the promise at the River Day guys on the street. Yeah, he did.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

Will you go to prom with me?

SPEAKER_01 6:24

He's a sweetheart, I guess. Oh, he is, he is. Matthew shout out to me. Oh, I know. Shout out to husbands out there. All the shout-out to husbands.

SPEAKER_00 6:31

I know, I know. We've had a lot of people. Bring your wives at the ballpark, too. Bring your wives in the ballpark, and your dogs because you're Stephanie.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

You all do a lot for the community as far as uh giving um nonprofits their time at the game, too. There's a lot of like

Corporate Outings And Prom Memories

SPEAKER_01 6:43

uh Camp Happy Days is near and dear to my heart. You all give away tickets. I've been there.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

Yeah, we do uh we have our dogs with a cause program. Yeah. Uh it's just a way for any program just to kind of share what they do with the public in the stadium. They can share information, they can solicit donations, and then we give an allotment of tickets, and they can either give those out to people that they work for or people they work with. So it's just an opportunity to raise awareness in the community.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

Sweet. Uh all right, wrapping this up. Why should somebody come to the expo next year?

SPEAKER_02 7:14

Uh they should come to the expo because you meet a lot of people you won't meet unless you do come here. True. Uh, whether that be business related or just make some new friends. Yep. Uh I am a transplant, so this is more than just a business expo. Okay, good.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Where are you coming from?

SPEAKER_02 7:28

Cincinnati, Ohio.

unknown 7:29

That's fine.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Uh I've been told that's some uh foul language to be used.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Isn't that wild to hear that? Like, what did you do wrong? So you were born in Ohio. That's where we feel like.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

They're already hitting you. I welcome you.

Giving Back With Dogs With A Cause

SPEAKER_02 7:40

So appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

Virginia, Detroit. Yeah, okay. Yeah, something smells delicious.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

It does.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

Yes, it does. We had the food cart go by earlier, so it must be that. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Top shelf. Top shelf catering.

SPEAKER_00 7:51

Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 7:52

Everybody use top shelf.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

Thank you for being with us here today. Thanks for having me. I'm excited for the river dog. Oh, we go. What is it?

SPEAKER_02 7:57

Riverdogs.com? What do we do? RiverDogs.com, April 2nd, 2026 is opening nine.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Yeah, awesome. Perfect. Doug.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

Thanks for your time. Thank you. Awesome. Yeah. Thanks, listeners. Let's thank Pollen Social for sponsoring.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Thanks for the expo to having us today.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

Yeah, Omar Shrine, what a great location.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Top shelf with the

Why The Expo Matters Plus Dates

SPEAKER_01 8:13

food. Stephanie with the with the conversation.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

That's right, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

Larry with the cameras.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Yeah, and Koz with the sounds.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

Thank you for being here, guys. Bye.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

See you next time.