ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Local baseball fans rejoice — the Rochester Red Wings is beginning their 2023 season Friday afternoon.

The Red Wings will be hosting the Lehigh Valley IronPigs from Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2 in a three-game series at newly-renamed, Innovative Field.

Ahead of their first game against the Ironpigs, the team gave fans a 50-degree guarantee — if the weather does not hit 50 degrees during Friday’s game, everybody’s tickets will be good for another game. Also, the first 1,000 fans that enter will receive a Toboggan hat from Kinecta Federal Credit Union.

The gates open on Friday at 2:30 p.m. and the first pitch will be made at 4:05 p.m. For Saturday and Sunday, the gates will open at 12 p.m. and the first pitches will be made at 1:05 p.m.

Additionally, the Red Wings also listed the highlights that fans can expect when attending the games this weekend:

• Milo the Dog will be returning to raise $10,000 for Honor Flight Rochester and the Veterans Outreach Center throughout the season. For every bat that Milo retrieves this season, the Red Wings and Flower City Group will donate $50 to “Milo Making a Difference.”
• From Friday to Saturday, the first 2,500 fans will receive a magnetic schedule for the 2023 season, courtesy of I-Evolve Technology Services.
• All throughout the weekend, a member of the Red Wings will hold an autograph session before the first pitch. Each session will last 20 minutes.
• On Sunday only, kids will be able to “run the bases” with the Red Wings’ mascots Spikes and Mittsy. This event will happen after the game is completed.

More information about the three-game series, as well as how to get tickets, can be found on the Red Wings’ website.

As a bonus, check out this video from the News 8 archives of the Red Wings’ opening day back in April 1971!