Major League Baseball will be opening its 2014 season in the Land Down Under, pitting the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a two-game series at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

According to reports, the NSW State Government invested roughly $13 million to stage the first ever baseball game in Australia, which is known as a cricket-crazy nation.

The Diamondbacks and the Dodgers are currently playing in a competitive series that saw close finishes and bench-clearing brawls.

The D-backs-Dodgers showdown is also an ideal series marketing-wise with both teams featuring high-profile players and rising stars.

The Dodgers boast one of the deepest batting rotations in baseball right now with All-Stars Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Hanley Ramirez comprising their the batting order. The Los Angeles club also have CY Young pitcher in Clayton Kershaw and Zach Grienke while rookie slugger Yasiel Puig steadily emerging as a must-watch star in the league.

On the other hand, the Diamondbacks have MVP contender Paul Goldschmidt in their roster along with a group of solid veterans such as Willie Bloomquist, Jason Kubel, and Eric Hinske. They also have All-Star starter Heath Bell and Trevor Cahill pitching on the mound.

The D-Backs-Dodgers series will be held on Saturday March 22 and Sunday March 23. It will be only the sixth time MLB plays a baseball series outside the United States.