FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Northwest Arkansas Naturals opened the 2024 season at Arvest Ballpark Friday, April 5 with a three-game series against the Tulsa Drillers.
Opening weekend features fireworks shows on Friday and Saturday night while the series finale is on Family Sunday with Kids Run the Bases following the game.
Friday night’s game will begin with the first pitch by Congressman Steve Womack.
As the Naturals are debuting a new look this season with a new logo and new uniforms, general manager and vice president Justin Cole says opening night brings a feeling of newness and excitement.
“You're excited just get the gates open and get all the fans back in and get to see that opening night, but I also love it because you get to see a lot of familiar faces that maybe we haven't gotten to see in person since last season, and we get a brand new team,” Cole said. “There's always some guys that do come back, but you also have a lot of new players who have never gotten to play in this facility.”
Cole said you don’t have to be a baseball fan to join in on the excitement – there is fun for the whole family.
“You kind of have the best of all worlds,” Cole said. “You don't need to be a super huge baseball fan to come and have a great time at the ballpark. There's plenty of other things that you can do to entertain yourself, and the game is there for you to enjoy with your friends and your family. But if you're even a moderate to huge baseball fan, these are the closest to the top level of professional players in America, and they're just two steps from achieving their dreams.”
The gates open at 5:45 p.m. and the game starts at 7:05 pm. Details about the team, the roster and the season can be found on the Naturals website.
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