On Thursday, April 3rd, the Buffalo Bisons will begin play in their 118th season of professional baseball in Buffalo. The Herd will open the season against the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

The Opening Day festivities will begin on the field at approximately 1:50 p.m. as Gift of Wings Sky Diving Team will enter Dunn Tire Park. A Bisons’ tradition, the Bisons Big Board will feature an exciting video set to Bruce Springsteen’s "The Rising," which will celebrate the start of the baseball season and the coming of spring.

After the rosters of both the Bisons and the Red Sox are introduced, Brad Little, currently starring in the "Phantom of the Opera" at Shea’s Performing Arts Center will sing the Star Spangled Banner. The introductions and anthems will be highlighted by fireworks salutes throughout.

There will be two ceremonial pitches on Opening Day. The first pitch will be presented by Erie County Executive Joel Giambra. The second pitch will be thrown by baseball Hall of Famer, and former Bison, Ferguson Jenkins. Jenkins pitched for the Herd in 1962 and went on to win 284 games in the big leagues. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 1991.

In an effort to wipe away the memory of one of the coldest winters in recent history, the Bisons are guaranteeing an Opening Day temperature of 60 degrees. If the official high temperature at the National Weather Service does not reach 60 degrees on April 3rd, all fans in attendance will receive a ticket to a future Bisons game.