Columbia, Creekside and Tocoi Creek won their baseball playoff openers on Wednesday night and are just one victory away from moving on to next week’s regional semifinals.

Baseball season is officially back!

Here’s a look at players with area ties who are on active rosters of MLB teams starting the season.

The sights, sounds and smells of the Clay County Agricultural Fair are an annual tradition in Green Cove Springs -- and so is seeing Richard Nunn cut the ribbon on Opening Day.

Pitcher Dane Dunning (Clay), shortstop Javier Baez (Arlington Country Day) and pitcher Adam Wainwright (Glynn Academy) are among the area players who are on Major League Baseball rosters on Opening Day. He’s penciled in as the tandem No. He’s a career .261 hitter in five big league seasons with 23 HR ad 126 RBI. OF Austin Hays, JU, Orioles, Hit .392 (20 for 51) with four HRs, 13 RBI in limited action in 2020. C Roberto Perez, Florida Gateway College, Indians, A career .271 hitter since coming into the bigs in 2010.

All 30 teams are scheduled to be in action, with Gerrit Cole set to throw the first pitch of the season against Toronto at Yankee Stadium. A year after no fans were allowed during the virus-shortened 60-game season, every stadium is open, in varying degrees as teams adhere to coronavirus protocols. But in a what-are-the-odds moment, all three are set to start on opening day. To be pitching the same day as those guys is pretty cool.”AdMITTS AND MITTENSNolan Arenado, Kris Bryant and Miguel Cabrera will be wearing gloves on opening day. Rain is in the forecast along the East Coast, which could affect games at Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Citizens Bank Park and Nationals Park.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s May 4 Opening Day approaches, 121 Financial Ballpark will serve as the alternate training site for the Miami Marlins once Major League Baseball Spring Training camps conclude. The Jumbo Shrimp’s home stadium is one of just 11 Triple-A venues across the country to receive a nod as an alternate training site. AdThe group of players reporting to the Marlins’ alternate training site at 121 Financial Ballpark is expected to be determined and announced prior to Miami’s Opening Day game on Thursday, April 1. Season tickets, mini plans, and group outings for the 2021 Jumbo Shrimp season are on sale now. Visit www.jaxshrimp.com or call the Jumbo Shrimp at 904-358-2846 for more information.