Arlington, TX -- The Texas Rangers today announced that the St. Louis Cardinals, who are making their first regular season appearance in Arlington since 2004 this weekend, will be the opponent for the first Major League game at Globe Life Field.

The Rangers and Cardinals have agreed to play a spring training exhibition game on Monday, March 23, 2020 at 7:05 p.m. at Globe Life Field. It will be the first Major League game played at the new facility, which opens next March.

Globe Life Field, which is being built as a public-private partnership between the City of Arlington and the Rangers, will not only be the team’s new home but also a multipurpose sports and entertainment venue that will include capabilities for hosting high school, college and international sports as well as entertainment tours.

The official groundbreaking for Globe Life Field took place on September 28, 2017 with construction beginning the following week. The new 1.7 million square foot ballpark, which will be located on 13 acres just south of the current Globe Life Park in Arlington, will include a retractable roof for climate control and shelter for fans during the hot summer months. Seating capacity is expected to be approximately 40,300 for Globe Life Field.

The new venue will also complement and enhance the fabric of the surrounding Texas Live!, a mixed-used development created by The Cordish Companies in partnership with the Rangers that opened in August 2018 and features outstanding dining and entertainment options. Loews Hotels & Co. is also constructing the adjacent Live! by Loews – Arlington, TX, hotel and convention center which is scheduled to open in August 2019.

Tonight marks the first regular season game between the Rangers and Cardinals in Arlington since June 13, 2004. The 5,451 days between games is the fifth longest span ever (since interleague play began in 1997) between playing on the road versus an opponent from the other league and the longest active streak. The Rangers and Cardinals met in the 2011 World Series with Games 3, 4, and 5 being played in Arlington, the final of those games on October 24.

Major League Baseball will announce both the complete 2020 spring training and regular season schedules later this year.