The London Majors home opener will feature a new look, both on and off the field

Majors' home opener The London Majors celebrate their 100th anniversary with a home opener Friday vs.Welland. CTV London's Gerry Dewan reports.

A century on the diamond, the London Majors will celebrate their 100th anniversary at their home opener Friday night.

The Majors were Intercounty Baseball League champions in 2021 and 2022, after a 46-year drought.

Now the team is looking to rebound from a season that saw them finish seventh in the eight-team league, with a record of with a 17 wins and 25 losses.

"You want to win again,” Co-owner and General Manager Roop Chanderdat told CTV News. “You want to win and the guys are motivated. They walk in - you know, the news guys - and they see the championship and they're motivated to win also."

Chanderdat admits there has been significant roster churn after last season, "Brought in a lot of new guys. Had to start with pitching. Then also brought some guys back from the 2022 championship team. Just to, kind of, lead the way."

Fan favorite Cleveland Brownlee has returned. As has Tommy Reyes-Cruz, playing his second season at shortstop. Cruz had an RBI and a run scored in a 7-5 win against the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Sunday.

He's encouraged by what he's seen from the new roster, "We're ready to go to work. We've been working a lot. We've been practicing, so I think we'll be ready for today."

Cruz said he's been focusing on his defence and building speed on the base paths, "Last year we didn't steal a lot of bases. This winter I worked on my legs, get faster, get a good first jump."

The 100th anniversary also brings new branding, including updated uniforms that feature a variation on olde English ‘L.’

There are also patches celebrating the team's 100 years. The home opener will see the Majors go up against last year's Dominco Cup Champions, the Welland Jackfish.