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SAN DIEGO — Play ball! The San Diego Padres will open their 2023 season this week.

The highly anticipated event comes on the heels of the Padres clinching a National League Championship Series berth in October for the first time since 1998. San Diego ultimately lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games.

Petco Park, the surrounding East Village and the rest of San Diego will soon be electric with excitement. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the big day.

When is Padres Opening Day?

Padres Opening Day is on Thursday, March 30 at Petco Park. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m.

Who will the Padres play?

The Padres will host the Colorado Rockies. That series will continue through the weekend, with games also on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Who will be starting pitcher?

Blake Snell is set to be the starting pitcher. With over 14,000 pitches thrown in his MLB career, this season’s Opening Day will mark Snell’s 160th game as a starting pitcher, according to MLB stats. Snell has struck out 989 basemen throughout his career, according to those same stats, which started after he was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2011 draft.

The Padres have yet to release their full Opening Day lineup.

What is the forecast?

Models as of Tuesday have indicated 50% chance of rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms for the beginning of the game. Showers should taper off by the end of the game and then the region enters into a drier and slightly warmer trend through the weekend. It will be cold, so bring a jacket, a hat, a poncho and your Friar faith!

Looking to get to the ballpark for a game this season? Check out the Padres schedule. If you want to go to a game where you can snag a free bobblehead, sunglasses or hoodie, here’s the schedule for Padres giveaways.