MOOSIC, Pa. — The festivities began outside PNC field long before the gates opened. Fans started lining up as much as an hour before.
The weather didn't hurt, perfect spring conditions for opening night.
Beth Santee was first in line, for her first-ever RailRiders game.
"Just wanted to see the game live in person instead of on TV," she said.
And for the RailRiders organization, the weather is just a double bonus.
Last year's home opener didn't happen until mid-May. There were capacity restrictions and social distancing necessities.
This year just feels like normal.
All the usual ballpark treats were back, but the main attractions were still the players on the field.
The RailRiders, as the top minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees, boast quite a pedigree.
And these fans know, on any given night, there will be stars wearing Scranton/Wilkes-Barre uniforms.
"Oh it's great, we love to be back here. Seen Jeter play here, Aaron Judge, Curtis Granderson. It's a lot of fun to see this player, Andujar. It's just a lot of fun to be together, to have the family all together," said James Cohen of Clarks Summit.
"It's opening night, Triple-A game, future major leaguers; you catch them before they get big," added Jesse Reed.
Check out a gallery of photos from opening night:
RailRiders opening day 2022
Watch Jim Coles throw out the opening pitch: