It’s time to play ball. The Hudson Valley Renegades, the high-Class A minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees, enter their 29th season, with a new name at their home ballpark.

The Renegades open the season at 6:05 p.m. Friday against Greensboro.

The name change to Heritage Financial Park, formerly Dutchess Stadium, comes after the Renegades announced an agreement on a long-term stadium rights partnership with Heritage Financial Credit Union.

“It’s been a long process of meetings with them to make sure that we were getting this done right. We didn't want to have a partner that just wanted their name on the side of the building. We wanted to make sure that there are a lot of layers and initiatives that involve the community and have a lot of impact for our fans, both inside the ballpark and out in the communities that we serve,” Renegades General Manager Tyson Jeffers said.

Heritage Financial Credit Union will sponsor awards and youth programs at the stadium, as well as a home runs-for-charity program. Jeffers said there will also be more outreach to local middle and high schools to teach financial literacy.

Prior to the announcement of the new partnership, the cost of renovations to the stadium were met with controversy.

“We faced a lot of hurdles. Whenever you're going to spend a significant amount of money, you know, people have opinions, and we have 25 legislators. Some of them were against us spending money. Some of them were for. As it turned out, we had 18 of those legislators that supported us,” Dutchess County Executive Bill O’Neil said.

O’Neil said the county has committed $25 million to upgrades – like a new team clubhouse, additional seating and event space – over the next year.

According to O’Neil, the county will receive an ongoing cash flow from the Renegades each year. That number is based on a fixed rent and will depend on the success of games, concerts and events held there.

“It is an investment, and it is a real opportunity for our residents in terms of their enjoyment of this quality of life, and that it is family, fun and entertainment,” O’Neil said.