Baseball is back in Oakland, even if it's not the Majors. 

The Oakland Ballers opened the season on Tuesday against the Ogden Raptors. 

Fans packed Raimondi Park for the first game, a sellout crowd. The Ballers increased the stadium's capacity from 4,000 to 4,100 so more people could attend the game. 

Drake Poplasky said the way this team interacts with the city of Oakland feels different than the way the Athletics did. 

"A team that feels like it wants to be here," said Poplasky. 

He said the team and its front office are investing and building in Oakland, something the A's ownership didn't do.

"This field was used as a little league field not too long ago, and they had barely any structure for having fans and having viewing," said Poplasky as he looked over at the new Raimondi Park. 

It's been transformed into a professional baseball stadium that people want to visit, like local Tia Barnard. 

She lives just 10 minutes away and says West Oakland is evolving, and while it started to improve before the Ballers, the team and stadium amplify it.

"It's also good to see more foot traffic, more people coming into the neighborhood," said Barnard. 

Barnard wore a t-shirt to the game with the A's logo crossed out and a B on top of the A.

She said it represents the reality of baseball in Oakland.

"Now that the A's are gone, this is what we have to bring baseball back to Oakland," explained Barnard. "I think it's incredibly sad. I'm glad this is here, but I think this should have been in addition to instead of a replacement for."

Ballers co-founder, Bryan Carmel, says they are not trying to replace the As, or any other team but instead fulfill a need with something new.

"Oakland lost three professional teams in about five years, and so for us it was just making sure there was a new chapter for baseball in Oakland," said Carmel. 

But for some of the youngest fans, like 9-year-old Evan Sanchez, they're not even thinking about the A's.

"I just want to catch a foul ball," said Sanchez while holding up his glove. 

Poplasky went to seven games during the ballers first season, and he hopes to go to more this year.

He said it's the people that come to the games that make it special.

"We got opening day seats because this has just been a really good time," said Poplasky. "Great community."