SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Opening day has arrived, and the South Bend Cubs are ready to swing into the season with several exciting changes.
And this year, the Cubs are stepping up the fan experience with interactive QR codes on the scoreboard that include selfie submissions and a new "saucy song battle."
"One of the things we got in our fan surveys last year was fans are looking to engage a little bit more of the ballpark. Fans can scan the QR code in the video board and share their photos when they head to the ballpark. It'll populate on the video board during the thinning of our ball game. We'll try to find ways to engage our fans a little bit more," Assistant General Manager for the South Bend Cubs Chris Hagstrom-Jones said.
Tonight, the first 1,000 fans will receive a magnet schedule to keep track of the team's matchups for the season.
More giveaways this season include a bobblehead series with the team's new mascot Ivy and Cubs' superstars Miguel Amaya and Matt Shaw, plus a new hockey jersey giveaway.
The new face on the field— Ivy, the Cubs’ brand-new mascot, is making her full-season debut. Ivy pays tribute to South Bend Blue Sox, a team from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
"Swoop is enjoying his summer winter home now down in the Florida, Bahamas, so he can enjoy that. But Ivy, she is excited to be here. She'll be joining Stu this year, all season long, very fun, friendly, very similar to Swoop, but she's all cute and cuddly like Stu, so kind of almost a great merging between the two," Hagstrom-Jones said.
Hagstrom-Jones says the excitement is brewing as the Cubs gear up for what promises to be a standout year.
"One of the things we pride ourselves on at the South Bend Cubs is it's not just about the baseball; it's about the experience. We want our fans to have an amazing time for them when the moment they park their car, they come to the ballpark, they're sitting here in the stadium they're leaving, we want them to have an amazing experience," Hagstrom-Jones said.