BILOXI (AP) – The Biloxi City Council has approved a series of agreements that will help the minor league baseball team play ball Saturday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1EV5c98) under one agreement, the team is reducing by $50,000 the city’s $250,000 penalty for home games the team had to play on the road. And $100,000 the city had to pay under its contract for power to the scoreboard and other changes was credited to Biloxi – provided the stadium opened June 6.

City attorney Gerald Blessey said the agreements cut the amount the city is facing from $250,000 to $100,000.

The city will apply for a sales-tax incentive through Mississippi Development Authority that will return to Biloxi 70 percent of the sales tax collected at the stadium for food, beverages, souvenirs and other sales to help repay the $21 million bond to build the stadium.

Biloxi will get the usual 18 percent diversion of sales tax from the state beginning with the first game and the additional 52 percent will be paid in January.

After 55 days on the road, the Biloxi Shuckers will play their first home Saturday, hosting the Mobile Bay Bears for a five-game series.

Team officials are expecting 6,000 fans at MGM Park on opening night. The gates open at 5 p.m. and game time is 7:10 p.m.