HARRISBURG, Pa. — From the bridge to the boardwalk, smiles were all around along the Susquehanna River at FNB Field as the Senators hosted their 35th home opener.
Everywhere you looked, excitement was in the air, and the buzz wasn't just from the bees in the cherry blossoms, but a called strike for the weather in early April.
“Oh, this is definitely the main part,” Jessica Dahmus of Hummelstown said. “Coming out today and just enjoying the weather and having a chance to be outside.”
Noah Raufos-Abbey of Harrisburg came with his wife Ashley and young daughter Lucy. He agreed that you couldn’t pass up opening day, especially with the sunny sky.
"I have been waiting a long time to see everyone back together in person,” Raufos-Abbey said. “Hometown opening day is about being able to really join together and celebrate your local sports teams.”
With every “pop” of a tab, a smiling customer left with a happy face. It may have been game one, but it seemed like the Senators' hospitality staff was already in midseason form.
Chris Leonard, who is a big Nationals fan, had a little longer drive to get there, but it was worth it, he said. He drove in from Manassas, Virginia. For the Middletown native, a chance for Senators baseball with family was an opportunity too good to pass up.
“My brother-in-laws' parents are season ticket holders here, so we said, 'Let's head up to the game,'" he said.
All over the park, you could hear kids starting chants as they tried to rally “Sensylvania." And while many fans took in the action, some kids were in the fun zone snacking on "whiffle ball tea."
The Senators ended up losing to Portland 7-1, but there will be plenty of opportunities to win this season.
The only thing fans will remember about Opening Day 2022, is the perfect evening for a ball game in early April.