DES MOINES, Iowa — After more than 600 days without baseball, Opening Day is officially here for the Iowa Cubs.
The Cubs are in a new Minor League Baseball division, the Triple-A East Midwest, and the season is 120 games instead of 140.
But there are some things to know before heading to the ballpark.
First, let's talk tickets.
The best way to buy tickets for an Iowa Cubs game is online.
Seating capacity is limited at every game, so buying ahead of time is the best move. If you buy a ticket online, you just have to use your phone to get scanned in when you arrive.
"The outdoor venue, the size of the ballpark, the seating plan, all the things that play into really make sense for the vaccinated folks, the folks who wear masks and for those who have been really careful to come out and get a sense of 'We are headed in the right direction', that we didn't just kind of blow the lid off initially," Vice President and Assistant General Manager Randy Wehofer said.
When you get into Principal Park, you'll notice you can only use a credit or debit card. No cash will be accepted this year.
If you only have cash, you can use a reverse ATM machine inside the park to get a pre-paid debit card.
As with anything these days, the pandemic is impacting policies like seating and face coverings.
At Principal Park, you have to wear a mask at all times, except when eating or drinking.
Seats are spaced out in the park too.
Outside the stadium, you're also expected to maintain social distancing when coming to and from the parking lots.
A lot of these new rules are mandated by Major League Baseball and have to be followed at all parks, both in the majors and minors.
Thursday's first pitch against the Indianapolis Indians is scheduled for 6:38 p.m. at Principal Park.