PHOENIX — Snakes alive, baseball is back, D-backs fans!
The Arizona Diamondbacks are facing off against the Colorado Rockies for Opening Day 2024. Whether you're planning on watching from home or headed to Chase Field, 12News has you covered. Here's what you need to know for Opening Day 2024.
The matchup
The Opening Day game starts at 7:10 p.m. Arizona time on March 28 and will be played at Chase Field.
The Rockies and Diamondbacks are familiar foes. The two teams share a Spring Training complex and Thursday night's game will be the ninth time these two teams have opened the regular season against one another.
The D-backs are putting their ace Zac Gallen on the mound for his second consecutive Opening Day start. Gallen will be up against Kyle Freeland for the Rockies, who is making his third career Opening Day start.
D-backs fans will likely see some of their favorite players from last season's historic run, according to MLB's website. On the 2024 roster for the D-backs are Alek Thomas, Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., just to name a few.
Street closures
Phoenix is not only excited for baseball — the Valley is also home to the 2024 NCAA Men's Final Four. If you're headed downtown for Opening Day, remember that 3rd Street from Monroe to Washington will be closed through April 10 for the NCAA Fan Fest.
Parking
There are several places to park for Opening Day, ranging in cost from $15 to $50. For a full list of parking, click here.
Some parking garages do not accept cash, so have a credit or debit card handy if you are not reserving parking in advance.
Pre-game festivities
Fans are encouraged to get to the ballpark early to kick off Opening Day. Advantage Members can get in the stadium at 4:30 p.m. and gates open for the general public at 5 p.m. The first 40,000 fans will receive a National League Champions rally towel and the team will be unveiling their 2023 National League Championship banner.
To make sure you don't miss any of the action, MLB suggests being in your seats by 6 p.m.
Clear bag policy
If you're planning to attend the game in person, Chase Field has a Clear Bag Policy in effect.
All bags greater than 4”x6” must be clear. Information on the policy can be found here. If your bag is larger, you have the option to store it in a BinBox for a fee.
Roof status
The retractable roof at Chase Field is expected to be open for Opening Day, according to the Diamondbacks website.
National anthem
The national anthem will be performed by Goodyear native and retired U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Steven Powell.
Color guard and flyover
The Opening Day flyover will be led by Lt. Colonel Jeremy “Thumper” Hedges and will be his last flyover before he retires after 21 years of service, having flown over 2,900 hours in the F-35, F-16 and T-37.
The unit conducting the flyover will be the 63rd Fighter Squadron and the aircraft is a 4 X F-35.
The Luke Air Force Base Honor Guard will present the colors for the national anthem.
First pitch
Arizona Cardinals legend Kurt Warner will throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Opening Day. Warner is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who was named first-team All-Pro twice and selected to four Pro Bowls. In 2008, Warner led the Arizona Cardinals to the franchise’s first division title since 1975 and its first-ever Super Bowl appearance.
The pitch will be caught by Hall of Famer and D-backs legend Randy Johnson.
Food and drinks
There is no shortage of snacks and meal options at Chase Field. New this season are footlong Sonoran-style hot dogs, Korean pork belly nachos, chimichurri tri-tip sandwiches, BBQ brisket sandwiches and brisket nachos, as well as many others. For a full list of new food and beverage locations, click here.
How to watch at home
The D-backs recently announced various ways fans will be able to watch team broadcasts this season. Local fans will be able to watch the D-backs games on various cable and satellite providers after the MLB negotiated a television rights deal for the 2024 season, the team said.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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