Teddy Zmuda III, 7, left, and his father, Teddy Zmuda II, of Austintown, said they are thrilled to be at Eastwood Field on Wednesday evening for the home opener of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Last year’s season was cut short as a result of the pandemic.

NILES — After a tumultuous 2020 and an uncertain future for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, baseball is back at Eastwood Field.

The Scrappers are now members of Major League Baseball’s Draft League instead of an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is made up of hopefuls looking to increase their status in the upcoming MLB draft.

“In terms of the players, instead of being directly tied to the Indians, our partnership now is with MLB as a whole,” Scrappers General Manager Jordan Taylor said. “Our players now will be prospects looking to enhance their status for this coming draft in July. A lot of guys (are) working their hardest to increase their draft positions.”

For many of the fans, Wednesday’s home opener was met with excitement to get to the ballpark. The new league, coupled with a hiatus last season, has fans buzzing with excitement for the new direction of the team.

Justin LeClair and his 6-year-old son, James, stepped foot into Eastwood Field for the first time. The two recently moved from Las Vegas to Poland and heard about the Scrappers. Having baseball so close, they said they were excited.

“We just love baseball,” Justin LeClair said. “It’s all we ever watch. We woke up today at like 7 a.m. excited for the game. We love going to games.”

James also said he looked forward to seeing home runs.

Being new to the area and just standing outside the stadium, Justin said he appreciates the “old school” look to the ballpark.

“I’ve been dying to get inside,” Justin said. “We’re trying to go to every stadium in America. What else can you do with your kids? Father and son time. Hanging out at the park all day. You can’t beat it.”

Fans such as the Grimm family from Warren, season ticketholder Michael Rickard of Niles, the Zmuda family from Austintown, and Maxine and Dennis McGaughy from Warren are Scrappers veterans.

For all, the thrill of walking through the front gates for the first time since September 2019 was met with excitement and wonder.

“We couldn’t be happier that they were able to keep the team and have something for families to go to in the area,” Brandon Grimm said.

“I think it’s great for our community and our families. It’s something for us to do and something to look forward to,” Alisa Grimm said.

Brandon Grimm said he was concerned about not having a team to support.

“We were nervous they would lose the team, but I was excited about what the new league was and how it would work,” he said. “It’s a shame they’re not still affiliated with the Indians. Getting the chance to see Indians players from time to time was always kind of cool, but the fact that it’s a new league, a new opportunity and something different; it’s exciting to see how it will play out.”

Rickard said he’s happy there’s a season but has reservations about the new league. He said he looks forward to the level of talent the teams have to offer.

“I’m happy there’s a season and we’ll see how it goes,” he said. “I was told there would be baseball here regardless… I hope there’s some good talent here. That’s the main thing I want to see is good talent and hopefully these guys can get to the majors also, like a lot of the former Scrappers have.”

Despite not knowing the level of talent, Rickard said he’s still happy baseball is back in the Valley.

Teddy Zmuda II surprised his son, 7-year-old Teddy III, with a trip to the ballpark.

“I didn’t tell my son they were coming back. The last he knew they weren’t, so I surprised him. We actually came here today to see if they were tearing the stadium down,” Teddy II said with a laugh. “It’s awesome because he has more fun that way.”

Maxine and Dennis McGaughy said Scrappers games have been a staple for years. Maxine said walking through the gates was unbelievable.

“I couldn’t wait. I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

When the team hosted rallies to garner public support to remain a part of Major League Baseball, Maxine said she went and explained the games are a way for people to get to a ballgame.

“We went to the rally to save the Scrappers and told them that some of us are on a tight income so this is a good outing for people to go to,” she said. “At least they’re back.”

Dennis said he’s looking forward to the season.

“Hopefully it’s a good season for them,” he said.

From a front-office perspective, Taylor said Wednesday’s game was met with “a lot of excitement and anticipation.”

Taylor added that despite challenges brought by restrictions, guidelines and getting things started in a short period of time, he looks forward to the season.

The homestand starting June 5 will be the first time the Scrappers will play with COVID-19 restrictions lifted. Currently, Eastwood Field’s policy for social distancing and mask wearing coincides with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask, though it is encouraged, as well as social distancing. To keep social distance, tickets are sold in pods that are spaced out. Starting June 5, the stadium will be at full capacity.