Baseball mania reached fever pitch in Japan on Friday with public appearances of national hero Shohei Ohtani and other Japanese players set to take part in MLB season-opening games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

After landing in his home nation, Shohei Ohtani took to social media with a simple message for his fans, helping to build excitement for the upcoming two-game set against the Chic

All 31 players are eligible to play in the two exhibition games against the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers, but only 28 will be active for next week’s regular-season games against the Cubs.

After wrapping their abbreviated Cactus League slate, the Dodgers on Thursday announced their 31-player travel roster for their trip to Japan that culminates with the Tokyo Series against the Cubs from March 18-19.

The Dodgers brought plenty of star power abroad and also fun stories like Jack Dreyer, Nick Frasso and Luis García.

More than 10,000 fans show up at the Tokyo Dome to watch the Dodgers practice and cheer for Shohei Ohtani’s brief appearance on the field.

The Los Angeles Dodgers travel roster for Japan included 16 pitchers among the permitted 31 players, but did not feature the team’s entire starting rotation.