GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (WFRV) – Mother Nature hit a grand slam in the weather department for the Timber Rattlers home opener.

Unseasonably warm weather treated the crowd of 3,180 fans who attended the Timber Rattlers game against the Peoria Chiefs Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

“Pure excitement, the last four or five years it’s been, 30, 40, 45 degrees, sometimes snow usually rain so the opportunity to be out here in short sleeves, a hat to block the sun, it’s fantastic,” said Timber Rattlers fan Tim Ruedinger.

Ruedinger attended the game with his friend of forty years Robert Richison. They told Local Five News that they attend about ten games per year.

 Several longtime employees that Local Five News spoke to said they couldn’t remember a home opener when the weather was this nice. Many fans wore shorts and short-sleeved shirts, baseball caps instead of winter hats, and the only gloves in the building were baseball gloves.

Kids filled the grassy viewing areas on both sides of the stadium.

“I like watching how they play and how they have different positions,” said Cameron Prislind who told Local Five News he plays baseball himself and that he learns a lot watching the professional players.

“It’s a really nice place and you get to watch them get home runs and stuff,” said Sienna Springer who also said she plays baseball.

Over in center field, Mark Olson also said he was having a great time at the game spending time with his family. He said he’s loving the warm weather.

“I was pretty surprised because I wasn’t expecting numbers (temperatures) that high up,” said Olson.