5 Things You Need To Know Today: April 13

1. Play Ball. The Boston Red Sox open their 100th year at Fenway Park today. The Local 9 take the diamond against the Tampa Bay Rays. Josh Beckett is scheduled to get the start against Rays ace David Price. First putch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.

2. Speaking of Opening Day ... Mother Nature has cooperated and has provided plentiful sunshine and a high temperature of 64 degrees. Winds light, in the 10- to 15-mph range.

3. Academic Achievement of the Day. Lydia MacKenzie, of Bedford, has been placed on the Gettysburg College Dean's Honor list for outstanding academic achievement in Fall 2011. Students with a quality point average of 3.60 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for a semester's work are placed on the college's Dean's Honor List.

4. Bulldog Bites. The spring boys lacrosse and track and field teams are in action today. Here's the schedule, obtained from HighSchoolSports.net:

• 4:00PM B JV Baseball vs. Goffstown School District

• 4:00PM G V Softball @ Goffstown School District

• 4:00PM G JV Softball vs. Goffstown School District

• 4:00PM G V Tennis vs. Oyster River High School

• 4:00PM B V Lacrosse vs. West High School

• 4:00PM G V Lacrosse @ Bishop Brady High School

• 4:15PM B V Tennis @ Oyster River High School

• 4:30PM B V Baseball @ Goffstown School District

• 5:15PM G JV Lacrosse @ Bishop Brady High School

• 5:30PM B JV Lacrosse vs. Bishop Guertin High School

5. Your drawing could be featured on a 2012 holiday card, candle wrap or ornament. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund are looking for help in creating the organization’s 2012 Holiday Collection. Artists are welcome to submit artwork or photographic designs for a holiday card, candle wrap or ornament to be sold by Dana-Farber during the holiday season as a fundraiser for the Institute. Popular images featured in previous years have included winter views of Boston landmarks and scenes, New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox-themed artwork and adult and pediatric patient artwork. All proceeds from holiday merchandise benefit the lifesaving mission of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Artists who wish to participate should email their designs in .jpg format to holiday_orders@dfci.harvard.edu. Please include artist name, e-mail, and phone number with the submission. The deadline to send in all designs is May 15. Artists will be notified by June 1 if their designs have been selected. Please note that the selected artists will not be financially compensated for their submission, but will get printed credit on the item that they design.