Cardinals fans look forward to another Opening Day, although rain in forecast for Monday

Rain is in the forecast for Opening Day at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Monday, but it’s not expected to dampen the anticipation for the start of another home season.

The Cardinals will face the Milwaukee Brewers at 3:15 p.m., with Michael Wacha (0-0, 8.31 ERA) taking the mound against Taylor Jungmann (0-0, 1.80 ERA).

In case of rain, the game will be played Tuesday.

If the game is played Monday, Tuesday will be an off day in the series. The teams would then play at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday (Mike Leake vs. Chase Anderson) and 12:45 p.m. Thursday (Jaime Garcia vs. Wily Peralta). Leake, signed to a free-agent contract in the offseason, will be making his second start with St. Louis.

The Cardinals’ official pep rally, as usual, will be held at Ballpark Village. The rally runs from 11 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. The event is free for all fans. Fredbird and Team Freebird will be in attendance to hand out Opening Day tickets to lucky fans.

Stadium gates open at 12:45 p.m. All fans, ages 21 and older, will receive a magnet schedule for the much-anticipated 2016 season.

Pregame ceremonies will begin at 2:30 p.m. with an appearance by the wildly popular Clydesdales, which never fail to thrill the fans – young and old – as they march around the stadium on the warning track.

Among the dignitaries to be introduced will be St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay.

Cardinals Hall of Famers will enter the stadium on the Ford motorcade, followed by the 2016 ballclub, whose players will arrive on Ford F-150s.

A moment of silence will be observed for Joe Garagiola and Joe Strauss, and the national anthem will be performed by Clayton Mathews, a professional opera singer.

Lou Brock, 76, will deliver the ceremonial first pitch. had his left leg amputated below the knee in November. The Hall of Famer is sure to receive a warm welcome from the capacity crowd.

Busch Stadium III begins its 11th season. Fans will notice 11 new HD video boards and expanded backstop netting to prevent fans from being struck by foul balls. Fan safety has been a growing concern for baseball administrators in recent years.

The Cardinals plan to give fans more angles and a crisper view of replays with their upgraded video boards. The safety netting, meanwhile, extends from dugout to dugout and is measured at 30 feet high, which exceeds Major League Baseball’s guidelines.

This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 10:05 PM with the headline "Cardinals fans look forward to another Opening Day, although rain in forecast for Monday."