everyone understand the hype around him. they think actually it is funny. >> joking bit earlier. he had to turn off his phone and not turn on tv last week. that's the only way you cannot be affected by the tension. i don't know what i would do if i were in his shoes. how many expectations, and -- just -- that's tough to do. with all -- you know, all the -- anticipation and all the people going to koumt. i think he's -- got the right mindset where he will try to forget about it and pitch. >> the magnitude of it is -- it is -- feeling that and he's trying to -- trying to be respectful of everybody who is saying anything to him. so i -- i think that -- you know, maybe too much can get said. i just basically wished him luck and -- reminded him that this is just like syracuse, you know. i think he will be fine. >> reporter: jim riggleman and company expect strasburg to go about six innings and in case something special going on. everybody here is just very excited to see what he's able to do. you have to understand that a world of pressure is on his shoulders. i'm told by teammates that have been around him all day he seems calm and ready to go. >> you know he will be relieved to get the first one over with. >> reporter: you know, no doubt. and you have to think, though the second one probably is going to be a lot of hype, too. maybe by the third one he will be getting in the groove. >> maybe by the end of the season. >> reporter: yes. >> thanks, lindsay. more from lindsay coming up. our coverage continues with craig melvin outside nationals park with more on the fans coming in for the big game. hey, craig. >> reporter: what's up, doreen? you know, so far traffic not a problem. metro seems to be running smoothly. lindsay just mentioned strasburg seems to be pretty calm. fans not so much. guys walked up and said he's already nicknamed it and start calling him the strasmanian devil. that's the crowd where this is -- folks going in for about an hour and after half now. unless you were willing to shell out a small fortune the only tickets available today were nose-bleeds or standing room only tickets. we are told hundreds showed up to snag one of those tickets and looks like a near perfect weather and the fellow named stras burk forced a lot of people to leave work early today and -- and stand in line. they stood around. some of them for an hour or two when the gates opened at 4:30. they poured in. there was a guy named curt that was at the front of the line. >> i came up this morning and i got here about 12:30 to get tickets to see the nationals play the pirates and see stephen strasburg pitch. i'm first in line so whatever -- there are nose bleed section seats. it is no big deal. it is a lot of fun. >> reporter: so far, getting here has not bench of a problem. traffic was -- as you can see here, relatively light when we shot this video an hour ago. it picked up considerably since. but it is not nightmarish yet. maybe that's because many drivers metroed to the park instead. they added trains to help fans get to the park. that helped but the trains were still pretty packed. one family met and didn't mind the crowd one bit. >> it was fun. everybody is -- we sat in the car, practicing for the playoffs already. >> no major crowds. >> crowds, yes. you about everybody is in a great mood. you know, people are wishing each other happy s -- merry strasmus. >> reporter: everybody has a nickname. now, this is something that metro is saying. it is -- easy to get folks into these games because you can sort of stagger that. when the baseball game ends, everyone pretty much leaves at the same time. larger the crowd, the more difficult it is to get into the metro. and they say that they are going to keep people at street level tonight so that it does not get too overwhelming underground. anticipate a massive crowd and when this game ends. we will have lots more coming up tonight on "news4 at 11:00." craig melvin, nats stadium. >> thank you, craig. we will hear more from the fans as our live team coverage continues a 6:30. 60 days since the rig explosion and crowd continues to pollute the gulf of mexico. there are signs of progress tonight. newly installed containment cap over the broken well is reducing the amount of oil leaking out. but as you can see from this live underwater camera the situation is still not good. jay gray is in venice, louisiana, with the latest tonight. >> reporter: officials continue to say these images from the floor of the gulf are pictures of progress. >> recover 14,842 barrels. >> reporter: news the containment cap is collecting more oil comes as at least one government scientist warns there's likely more oil to collect. >> amount of oil coming out seems to keep own creasing. >> reporter: the doctor is part of the federal team trying to determine exactly how much crude is spilling into the gulf. he believes that number has increased dramatically. and blames the failed top kill for an essence clearing the way. >> if you clean the pipes in your house, the -- plumbing flows much better and that's what is now happening. we have a much better plumbing flow of oil into the ocean. >> reporter: what's not flowing, according to the doctor, is information from bp. >> what we have seen over these six weeks is absolutely no data and no scientists, no independent and bp has made our life almost impossible. >> reporter: that lack of communication apparently stretches all the way to the top of this disaster. in an interview on the "today" show this morning, president obama acknowledged that since the rig explosion and including three visits to the region, he's never spoken to bp's ceo tony hayward. >> and we are communicating to him every single day exactly what we expect of him. >> reporter: members of the super bowl champions saints on hand hoping to raise spirits and in an area that desperately needs a win. >> i can't think of anything else that would lift this other than the oil disappearing to lift our spirits more than the saints. >> reporter: it is also a somber reminder here. the team will likely be back on the field in august before engineers find a way to stop the flow. saints quarterback drew brees announced that today's rally the team will raffle a super bowl ring with the proceeds going to those most affected by the spill. in vince, louisiana, jay gray, news4. >> president obama returns to the gulf coast on monday and tuesday for an update on the oil spill. the white house says that he will visit mississippi, alabama, and florida. doreen? >> police in frederick, maryland, say this arrested a mother who left her child alone in a car for four hours so she can get high. marian larman was arrested at a motel 6 in frederick just after 7:00 this morning. the police say they were called there after somebody saw a child strapped into a car seat and all alone in larman's car. police say they found larman asleep in a motel bathroom and under the influence of drugs. she was arrested and the child is now staying with relatives. a judge in charlottesville, virginia, decided to allow the public to cease some of the documents in the ongoing murder investigation. love was found dead in her home last month. her ex-boyfriend, george huguely, is charged with her murder. today a judge decided to unseal the reason why search warrants and other documents are being kept secret. those documents were previously sealed to prevent potential jurors from getting too many details before the trial. another picture-perfect day outside. i hope you got a chance tone joy it for a while. by this time tomorrow, we could see some stormy weather. meteorologist veronica johnson is in our weather center with details. big changes. >> big changes, indeed, doreen. stormy weather and gusty thunderstorms tomorrow. probably even a handful of warnings coming our way. like i said i hope you got a chance to enjoy today because it was straight out of mid may. 78 degrees. that's where the temperature is now. 78 degrees. but -- not only has it been cool today but humidity has been very, very low. dry air and you saw that pretty blue sky. gorgeous throughout the entire mid atlantic region today. northwesterly winds and out of the west. eventually later on we are going to see clouds moving in. and by early tomorrow morning, overcast skies, 63, 62, showers, light showers to start the day tomorrow. as we said, it is going to turn stormy tomorrow. pick up anywhere from a half to an inch of rain out of this storm system. and then we are not done, more pattern changes for us this weekend. hot and humid again. a look at the 7-day forecast in a few minutes. >> already. thanks, veronica. stocks managed to gain ground today after yesterday's big tumble. comments from fed chair ben bernanke said he didn't expect to go back into a recession. the average is still shy of the 10,000 mark. the nasdaq slipped three. the s&p gained 12. coming up on "news4 at 6:00," man once questioned in the disappearance of natalee holloway confesses to the murder of another woman in peru. >> accident involving a vintage plane closed a runway at reagan national airport today. >> voters in virginia and across the country are headed topolls tuesday primaries. another live report from nats park where fans are arriving for stephen strasburg's debut. the mexican government is forming a deadly protest over the shooting after 14-year-old boy at the u.s. border yesterday. law enforcement officials gave this account of the incident to nbc news. they say border patrol at were investigating the apparent smuggling of several illegal immigrants near el paso. one person was detained at a levee near the crossing. a second agent arrived on a bicycle and detained a second person. u.s. officials say the rest of the suspects surrounded the second agent and pelted him with rocks. he fired his gun several times and killed a teenage rock thrower. mexican authorities say the u.s. used excessive force. american officials say the area where the shooting happened is high crime and that border patrol agents are pelted with rocks there so often the practice has become known as rocking. a reported murder confession today from joran van der sloot. a police official says that the dutchman has admitted to killing peruvian business stun stephany flores. and van der sloot's motive is reportedly linked to his past. as a suspect in the disappearance of natalee holloway. brian mooar now with the latest from lima, peru. >> reporter: the top peruvian government official is confirming to nbc news that joran van der sloot did confess to the killing of stephany flores. why did he do it? according to one newspaper account, van der sloot told authorities that it had to do with a laptop he found stephany flores on his laptop in his comput computer, his hotel room, and discovered his involvement in the infamous natalee holloway case. she confided in him about it according to the newspaper account and van der sloot told police that he flew into a rage and killed her. that she had no right to be looking into his private life. authorities continue this investigation. reporters have been waiting here all day for van der sloot to show up to this homicide scene for a walk-through. recreation of the crime that's custom airy in peru. reporters continue their wait. authorities continue their investigation. in lima, peru, brian mooar, nbc news. >> news of van der sloot's confession comes on the same day as a new center is opened in natalee holloway's memory. and her mother was here in washington for the event. julie carey will have more on natalee holloway and resource center coming up at 6:55. election news. voters are going to the polls in 12 states today. including virginia. later tonight we will know just how rough it may be for incumbents in this election year. steve handelsman has our report. >> reporter: arkansas democrat senator lincoln could be the third incumbent u.s. senator denied renomination. >> problem is i'm being totally misrepresented. >> reporter: she's under attack from the left by unions and environmentalists. >> blanch lincoln has taken more oil and gas money than any other u.s. senator. >> reporter: the challenger is lieutenant governor bill halter. >> on the verge of winning a race against a 16-year incumbent. >> reporter: incumbents are in trouble. in today's "washington post" poll just 29% of voters were inclined to vote for their house member. all-time low. especially bad news for barack obama's democrats. >> there is a stronger dynamic that's out there of voters being unhappy with where the country is and right now there's only one party in charge. it is not republicans. >> reporter: republican in-fight cog help unpopular senate democratic leader reid and sharon angle lead a bruising gop race in prevote polls. she is back bid the tea party and polls shows losing support nationally. >> all right. there we go. >> reporter: in california, former hewlett-packard ceo republican carly fiorina is campaigning against barbara boxer. >> make it listen and work. grow jobs, cut spending and retire barbara boxer. >> reporter: the former boss of ebay, meg whitman, was leading prevote polls in a republican gubernatorial primary. the same for state rep vickie haley in the south carolina gop governor's primary. it is shaping up as a big day for republican women. and for women ceos moving into the world of politics. steve handelsman, news4, capitol hill. >> in virginia, one of the biggest races is between the two candidates hoping to square off against democrat jerry connelly in the district and encompasses fairfax and prince william counties. oakton businessman keith fimian is going up pat herrity for the seat. turnout so far is said to be low but there is still time to vote. polls will be open until 7:00. when we come back tonight on "news4 at 6:00," studies are under way to figure out if drivers should be able to go faster in some parts of virginia. >> a traffic stop involving a woman driving almost 100 miles an hour turned into a special delivery. veronica is back to tell us what could be a wet wednesday. we will be right back. you really couldn't ask for a better night for a baseball game. >> you could not. near perfect. what do you mean near perfect? >> demanding. >> this is gas as it gets. >> it is. humidity really low. about as low as you can get for a day in early june around here. temperatures, of course, cool. we had the 90s already. today under the 80-degree mark. whether it was jogging or biking. down by hains point. refreshing, the air. and kind of crisp and cool to start today. 60 was the low temperature at reagan national. other neighborhoods that started out in the upper 40s. high today is 79. that was right before 4:00 today. and meanwhile, you know, we could use rain around here. get into the form of severe weather. the last 30 days, reagan national, in and around 25% below to normal rainfall, go back 90 days and 25 to 50% below normal. your temperature right now is at 78 degrees. your dew point temperature is at 42 degrees with humidity at 77%. and a light north to northwesterly wind so temperatures start falling off we will get to 70 by 9:00 and then 65 degrees by 11:00 p.m. again, with clouds really increasing and moving in quickly after the midnight hour. 78 in hagerstown. pittsburgh at 71. 8 on degrees in raleigh, north carolina. and it is not just refreshing here but all the way down south and into the carolinas. dew point temperatures have been in the mid 50s today. northwesterly wind is -- you can see the clouds right behind me. coming into areas of ohio and showers, too. just west of columbus, ohio, right now. so high pressure moves out, folks, next weather system will be moving in. already rain, too, coming through detroit. bigger storms, gusty thunderstorms, have been down here. just south and east of st. louis, missouri. southern areas of i will and i will around our area tomorrow between about 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. tomorrow where we could have gusty thunderstorms of our own. now i don't think we are going to see rainfall like this. look at kirksville, missouri. 3 1/2 inches, 4 inches of rain. 74 degrees. had winds gusting up to 46 miles per hour today. over three inches of rain in carbondale, illinois. coming down here and a lot of the spots are the same locations that have, of corporation, severe weather over the weekend. with -- with the tornado from ohio all the way into illinois and iowa. so there's the low pressure system. we will still same ingredients upper-level winds from west to east. and low-level winds out of the southwest. so even around here, i think tomorrow afternoon is -- feasible that -- main threat will be that of damaging winds do i think we can have tornado warnings come out for our area. the main risk area will be just west of d.c. so spots like fauquier county, prince william county, and washington county, and maryland, berkeley, jefferson, down through rappahannock and culpeper county, those are the locations that will have to watch and as the system moves from west to east and into our area tomorrow afternoon. so -- your forecast for the evening, gorgeous as we go through the early part of the night. so mostly clear. clouds will be increasing. your temperature will drop from 75 to about 67 degrees. still out of the northwest and then by the time we get to tomorrow morning, winds will be more out of the south and southeast. cloud cover easily first thing around sunrise and the light rain showers will be starting 5:00, 6:00 a.m. then that -- rain will start to pick up in intensity for the afternoon. so cloudy conditions and rain is likely for tomorrow. you are going to need your rain gear. again, heavy at times. with the thunder, severe weather all possible between about 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. tomorrow. drop from 78 to the low 70s throughout the afternoon tomorrow as the rain cooled air comes in. and 85 is the temperature for thursday. we will be spending thursday clearing out. and beautiful weather for friday. and -- as well as low humidity, 82 degrees, the high temperature. saturday, high 83 to 85. it will be humid this weekend. and we should have temperatures getting back into the upper 80s on sunday and back to summer heat for the second half of the weekend. but stormy again. i'm sure i will have another busy afternoon right here. >> for tonight, we are going to just -- >> enjoy it. >> all right. thanks, veronica. coming up in our next half hour of "news4 at 6:00," we are just over half an hour away from the debut of nats pitcher stephen strasburg. we will head back down to the ballpark to see how fans are getting ready. >> also, some delays at reagan national airport today when a plane flying to promote a new movie flips over on the runway. >> airports changing the way it screens airline passengers. the new high-tech system they are using is controversial. >> whitman high school has announced another journalist to speak at commence many ceremonies days african selling helen thomas' appearance. coming up in sports, it feels like christmas for nats fans. we will recap stephen strasburg's route to the big leagues. also, how do his teammates feel about his debut? you will had a hear from the just over a half an hour, new era begins for the washington nationals. that's our top story at 6:30. the team's rookie pitcher, 21-year-old stephen strasburg, will make his major league debut tonight. >> nats fans have been feeling strasburg fever. some even lining up before sunrise today at a chance for a ticket to tonight's game. time's tom sherwood is the s in the middle of it all right outside the ballpark with what they hope to see tonight, tom. >> reporter: even "the wall street journal" has a story today other stephen strasburg. and this is rosie. she is the only living thing down here without a ticket. this is better than opening day. the weather is great. the team is winning more games. the fans are less than a half hour hoping to see something special. thousands of fans head into see strasburg's first big league game, wait as big day for little 3 1/2-year-old william, too. his family drove him from winchester, virginia. >> first baseball game ever and we just wanted to bring him on a special day. >> reporter: outside the stadium the outdoor bull pen's beer garden was warming up for the fans. all intent on seeing one guy, stephen strasburg. >> i think it is -- it is a big day for baseball and it is certainly much bigger day for the nationals and -- well deserved and here to hope to be -- trying to -- >> reporter: what's today mean to you? >> i'm a new baseball fan. i just wanted to come out and see what the big hype was about the hundred-mile-an-hour pitcher. >> reporter: fans snapped up remaining standing room only and bleacher seats and some had driven from as far away as salisbury, maryland. >> yes. >> reporter: why? >> to be -- i know it will be big. his major league debut. always wanted to see. >> reporter: have you his shirt on. what if he is a dud? good if he is a dud -- >> reporter: standing room seat, actual seat? >> grandstand seats. >> reporter: how much? >> $5. $5 a ticket. standing room only was $10. >> reporter: you drove from salisbury. how much does that cost in gas? >> $25. >> reporter: the game is about to star and maybe about 20 -- 30-something minutes. as soon as i get through with this, thank you very much, i'm going to putt down the microphone and go inside and see what all the fans are excited about. back to you in the stadium. >> get in there and have fun. stay with news4 with continuing coverage of strasburg's debut. we will have much more on what this means for the nationals from lindsay czarniak coming up in just a few minutes in sports. other news now, there will be larger class sizes and teacher layoffs as well in the montgomery county school system. the county board of education approve ad 2011 budget today and average class sizes will increase by one student. school system will also eliminate about 250 teaching positions. most of those will come from retirement by two dozen teachers will get pink slips. there will also be cuts to the school system's textbook budget and an arts magnet program at einstein high school in kensington. some dramatic moments at reagan national airport this morning a vintage plane flipped over on the runway. the aircraft was part after group of world war ii biplanes. they were flying into n to promote the opening of the film "legends of flight." the two men aboard the plane were able to walk away without any major injuries. jane watrel has our report. >> it was a picture-perfect day for flying. as a group of world war ii era biplanes winged their way to the airport. amateur videos shows that the yellow mistress was trying to land, itted isly flipped on its nose. inside the cockpit "washington post" reporter who also captured the accident on video. and as the dramatic landing turned things upside down. >> i could hear the propeller crunch and as it touched the -- tarmac. and they the plane flipped over and pilot hanging upside down, shoulder harnesses. >> reporter: the reporter walked away from the accident which shut down one of the airport's main runways for about 90 minutes. a crane had to be brought in to remove the plane. witnesses say that while the 1942 steermen looked like it was going in for a smooth landing, something obviously went wrong. dan webb was watching behind the lens of his camera. >> there was this huge collective gasp. i don't think i really realized who happened at first. to see the plane flip over it was scary. then we saw -- the pilot and pass ebb jer walk away. we are -- grateful that -- everyone was okay. >> reporter: the yellow mistress and seven other aircraft left manassas airport mid morning. part of a promotion for a new 3-d film called "legends of flight." a film spokesman belief it is plane may have caught a cross wind. federal investigators say that it is too early to tell what happened. they are talking to the pilot. michael trushel of nokesville, virginia. >> he told our investigator the aircraft touched down and he rolled out at 70 miles per hour. and then he tapped both of the brakes and that he nosed over or flipped the aircraft over. >> reporter: the national transportation safety board will issue its findings in about ten days. they say that there are 2,000 of the steermen vintage planes left in the united states. they will were used to train pilots during world war ii. at reagan airport, jane watrel, news4. air traffic controllers were able to direct other planes to arrive into the airport using their auxiliary runways. a new screening method is in place at bwi airport. the tsa is using full-body scanners at the airport now. critics called the technology an electronic strip search that allows officers to see through passengers' clothing to detect any possible security threats. facial features are concealed. for now passengers can choose not to go through the body scanners but will have to go through a metal detector and may be subject to pat-down. could you send the -- be driving faster on roads in virginia. transportation officials here are doing several safety studies to decide whether to raise speeds from 65 to 70 miles an hour. a recently approved bill allows the change on certain states, highways, move lanes that are separated from regular travel lanes. vdot will evaluate more than 700 miles of roadway, including i-95, 295, 395 during its first round of studies. walt whiteman high school capped another longtime journalist to be its graduation speaker. veteran cbs newsman bob schieffer will row place former white house journalist helen thomas for when iman's commencement next week. several parents and students objected to thomas' scheduled appearance in the wake of her controversial colts about israel. thomas retired abruptly yesterday after she was recordeded saying jewish people should get out of palestine. she apologized for those remarks. coming up on "news4 at 6:00" tonight, we are going to tell you about a memorable traffic stop for a police officer who pulled over a driver doing nearly 100 miles an hour. >> iphone customers may have an easier time of getting an upgrade when the new model of the iphone comes out in a few weeks. veronica is back to tell us how long this picture-perfect stuff will stick around. here she is... pretty cool, huh? yeah, but... what happened to the back there? well, here's the thing: this was the only "sporty two-seater" they had on my budget. uh-huh. and the seats go all the way back. (announcer) settling for less is not smart. what is smart is getting more car for your money at carmax. for the money you'd spend on a stripped down new car, you could get a fully loaded, guaranteed-quality used car at carmax. now more than ever, the smart choice is carmax. the way car buying should be. time for another check on our weather. how does it look? >> let's just say that i can't wait to get out of here. we have a couple of hours to at least enjoy here the nice weather we have going on. nice evening for us. meanwhile, tomorrow, we are going to see some rain and some thunderstorms come through the area. that rain now is moving through cleveland, ohio. detroit, michigan, columbus, ohio. as well as indianapolis, indiana. so as that weather system comes in to the area tomorrow, we will start with light rain showers and then we could have breaks in the cloud cover. enough breaks to produce severe weather across the area tomorrow. especially just west of d.c. and western maryland and just to the south and west of us. main threat is that of damaging winds. our temperature now is 78 degrees. again, we have lots of sunshine, lots of clear skies. still left. it is after midnight with the clouds really going to be rolling in fast. from 70 at 9:00 p.m. to 62 degrees by tomorrow morning. just a little higher than we were this morning. tomorrow is 78 degrees, your high temperature. and rain is likely. it will be a wet one, soggy one. a pretty nasty, just slow go for the evening rush. jim? >> veronica, thank you. a sheriff's deputy in north texas was just trying to do his job when he pulled over a speeding car. but he found himself delivering a baby by. the officer pulled the car over for going 97 miles an hour down a highway. that's when he discovered the driver was making a mad dash for a hospital because his wife had gone into labor. >> i was like -- we have to go. she's pregnant. she's having the baby. let's go. >> they are still talking. i just -- you know, ripped my pants down. >> then he runs to the car and comes back with a police rain jacket. and so it is one of those black and yellow and now it has baby all over it. >> all right. he went to work within minutes, deputy, helped deliver the couple's baby right there on the side of the road in the family's suv. the baby's name is jayden. baby, mom and dad and deputy are doing fine. a speeding ticket would have so much easier for him. for him. >> right. no, keep going. i don't want to be involved. lindsay is at the ballpark. is there anything else coming up in sports besides the nats? that's it? >> reporter: debut of stephen strasburg. finally here. everybody is ready to see the pitching phenom take the mound. also find out what a future hall of famer said to strasburg last night. and how does the new skipper think stephen strasburg is going to do. strasburg just walked out on countdown. 25 minutes. >> reporter: what did you say? >> 21 minutes. >> reporter: 21 minutes, yeah. you know what, the buzz down here has already started. you have to think, though, stephen strasburg is probably like, let's just get this game under way. all right. his pitching coach told me today that he's been talking to strasburg all day long and he actually said i'm really seek itted. i just want to go and get out there. well, i have to tell you how excited the fans became because just a little bit over 15 minutes ago stephen strasburg came walking out of the dugout. ask everybody that was here to watch went absolutely crazy. strasburg walked out of the dugout and at 6:25, he had been hanging out inside and calm trying to avoid his own hype. he walked across the field which is -- his pitching coach said if strasburg gives up two runs in six innings that's fine by him. everybody was screaming his name. strasburg hold back a smile. manager riggleman said he's excited, too, obviously. he also said he understands his pitcher's excitement. >> i don't mean to laugh but it is -- i feel like we are talking about the horse at the kentucky derby, you know, how it is in the gate before the race. but, you know, he's great. he's -- he's -- he's just -- i'm sure, feeling that -- you know, he is so proud to be here. i think he would have liked to have come here a little more -- he's looking to go out and help his ball club win but get this one past him. >> reporter: jim riggleman knows that tonight will be a good test for stephen strasburg. he will go up against the best hitters in the game. yes, i'm not crazy. pittsburgh pirates have good hit others their roster. eve everywhere stephen strasburg has been he has been able to produce. that's what he did in the minors. stephen strasburg began the season at double-a harrisburg where he had five starts with the 3-1 record. 1.64 earned run average. in mid may he made six more starts and finishing there with an even more impressive 4-is record and 1.08 e.r.a. his final appearance in syracuse last thursday. june 3rd. now he is a major league pitcher. something he strived for since he was a kid. as he told hakem dermish when he was in the minors he's always had a passion for this game. >> i was born with it. i -- so little going out back with my dad and grandma. just playing catch and running bases. watching baseball. constantly. dragging my dad out tooling league field on sunday. you know. been playing the game a long time. and -- you know, he's just -- you get like this little itch inside and you know, when you are not away from it and on the field, you know, you feel great. >> reporter: strasburg's teammates have said that he seems very calm and very even-keeled today. most of the pitchers with the faithful have never been put in the position before under a microscope. i spoke to fellow pitcher john lannan who his pitching tomorrow and he told me that -- the atmosphere created at nationals park is unreal. >> advice as far as getting ready for start, i can give him. but as far as this stuff goes, this madness, i have no clue. i have never been part of something like this. he's doing a good job on his own, you know. tvs are on in the clubhouse. espn is on. "outside the lines" is doing a whole thing about him. i mean, pretty crazy. >> reporter: you have been in a similar situation being a first round draft pick. lot of pressure and expectations on you as well. how does that impact his mindset heading into today? you also know him very well is. >> i think -- we were joke being it earlier. he had to turn off his phone and not turn on the tv. that's the only way you cannot be affected by the attention. i don't know what i would do if i were in his shoes. how many expectations, you know, and you just -- that's tough to do. with all the -- you know, anticipation and all -- you know, people coming out. i think he's -- got the right mindset where he will forget about it and go pitch. >> reporter: jim storen very excited to see his good pal stephen strasburg get out there on the mound. now, another thing that's interesting is that strasburg's college coach. hall of famer tony gwynn traveled to be here. that was very special. heave given the opportunity to throw out the first pitch. he declined because he didn't want to take the spotlight away from strasburg. strasburg was sensational when he was back with gwyn in his senior year at san diego state and won 13 games only lost one. earned run average of 1.32. only giving up 16 earned runs while striking out 195. in his final home start as an -- strasburg threw his first career no-hitter striking out 17 air force batters. he was the best pitcher in division i college baseball last year and drafted number one overall by the nationals. his college coach was tony gwynn who is a fall of famer and knows strasburg will be ready. former major league pitcher smoltz was very impressed with strasburg. >> i don't care what league you play in. you strike out 23 guys and have you that kind of stuff with aluminum bats and dominate and that's all he has been used to really. i know he didn't get drafted high or at all out of high school but developed a work ethic and a plan that allowed him to dominate baseball like no other pitcher has done in a while. and certainly nose numbers won't continue in the big leagues but it is -- what an advantage it is to come in with the arsenal he has. >> you had a phone conversation with him last night. what -- what was that about? what did he think? could you tell his demeanor? >> he seemed calm. it is easier to be calm. one thing is -- you feel for the guy. anybody who has gone through this a long time and hasn't had even close to what he had, this is playoff stuff. this is the atmosphere you get when you know you have been in the playoffs. i'm just encouraging him to try to find a way to slow the game down so he can have fun. biggest thing i learned when my debut, no one -- i learned it later but -- that was the time to have fun. i know the expectations are off the charts in the city and in the media and in baseball in general, but this start really means nothing statistically. this means getting it over with so that he can maintain and start his process of learning and hopefully build a resume and career that has a lot of playoff baseball here in washington and he is a big part of it. >> reporter: john smoltz said he was able to help strasburg when to come out here and take a look behind and take your time. and check out the fans. but then pay attention to everything on the field and get the pressure out of your mind. nationals also made somebody else's dream come true last night. his name is bryce harper. 17 years old. they drafted him with a number one overall pick. here is what catcher turned outfielder now bryce harp her to say. >> it is what i wanted since i was 7 years old. and just -- it has been a lot of fun going through it. and -- i am trying to enjoy it now with the family. anyone that needs me i will play. i will play third, outfield, center. anywhere they need me, i will -- i'm there. and -- i just -- i just want to make it. and -- we will see what happens when i get there. >> we made yearly decisions we are going to take -- take the riggers and pressure of learning the position -- difficult position of catcher away from him and really let him concentrate on the offensive part of the game. and let his athleticism take over and as an outfielder. we just think that it is going to -- it will accelerate his development in the minor leagues and also extend his career as major leaguer. >> reporter: mike rizzo there talking about another future phenom, bryce harper. harper has a long way go before he gets here. tonight it is ball stephen strasburg making his big debut. everybody is trying to capture a bit of history. this is something that one company is doing to benefit the make-a-wish foundation. they are going to put the photo of strasburg, making his debut in the top and add some of the dirt by the mound. you see gummy bears or something that's flying out, guys in the dugout are saying get out of here. we want to see stephen strasburg make his debut. from nationals park about to begin. the day that fans have been waiting for forever. stephen strasburg on the mound for the washington nation aolal >> thanks, lindsay. coming up next on news4, the mother of natalee holloway is in washington today for the opening of the center named in h a peruvian official tells nbc news that joran van der sloot has confessed to killing 21-year-old business student stephany flores in lima. according to newspaper accounts, van der sloot said he beat flores in a fit of rage because she looked up information on him and missing alabama teen natalee holloway on his computer. van der sloot was one of prime suspects in the holloway case. she disappeared in aruba exactly five years before flores was found dead. natalee holloway's mother came to washington today to launch a new center for the families of missing teens and young adults. when the event was first scheduled beth holloway couldn't have imagined that joran van der sloot would be in the news again accused of murder. still she moved ahead with plans for a new center in her daughter's name. >> reporter: any reaction on what's going on in south america with joran? beth holloway says the fib asked her not to talk about the murder investigation in peru or about joran van der sloot the man in custody there also a prime suspect in her daughter, natalee's, disappearance. she disappeared in aruba. beth holloway went ahead with the plans to announce the formation of the natalee holloway resource center. >> when natalee went missing in may of 2005, my family desperately needed, we desperately needed contact information, law enforcement foygs. >> reporter: the co-founder said it services and calls center will focus on missing young adults, 18 and older. it will help families with missing person poster development and contacting the media and setting up a command center for search volunteers. education will be another key component. they develop ad safe travel curriculum focused on foreign excursions. get an international cell phone. >>nality lee didn't have an international phone. you never know the -- at the point someone knows that they are in danger. >> reporter: inside the crime and punishment museum the unfolding drama in peru was very much on the minds of its visitors. >> shame someone else had to die before this whole thing was -- hopefully will be solved. you know, hopefully justice is served. >> reporter: what troubles the co-founder is that stephany flores was last seen alive may 30th, the five-year anniversary of natalee december ace disappearance. >> you think he just happened to kill someone on natalee's five-year anniversary so it makes you wonder did that happen, four years in between, was it an anniversary marker? >> reporter: van der sloot's name is already part natalee holloway exhibit as the chief suspect. the question now is with the develop manies in peru, might he some day soon be named her killer? julie carey, news4, washington. at&t is trying to make it's easier for iphone users to upgrade their gadgets to carry says lit use a formula to determine whether current users are eligible for upgrades. if you are eligible, the upgrade will cost thank you same as a new subscriber screen $200 and $300. if you are not the new phone will cost you the normal $400 thon $500. >> one more check on the weather. >> delightful evenings. tomorrow, tomorrow is going to be the pothole in our week with some messy weather around the area. you can see at 5:00 a.m. cloudy skies around. 6:00 to 7:00 a.m., showers developing. drop from the 70s. 62 tomorrow. 57, frederick. 62 degrees in fredericksburg. rain early tomorrow morning on the drive in and nasty for the afternoon with gusty thunderstorms. and heavy rain coming through the area. by thursday the rain will be moving out. the weekend, we could have a few passing showers and storms. back to you guy. >> all right. veronica, thank you. coming you up tonight, full coverage of stephen strasburg's debut from the impact on the field to the multimillion dollar impact in and you a round nats stadium. also, we will tell you about several fox attacks in parts of northern virginia. two people have been bitten. and watch her in action. 100-year-old woman takes on all comers at the world table tennis championship. >> there was a show of brute strength in israel today on a summer vacation on the line. israeli trucking company held a contest by a beach in tel aviv and they said they wanted to find the strongest man and woman in israel. competitor has to pull a 7 1/2 ton truck along a 98-foot course. the winner of the men's competition did it in just 20 seconds. the winner of the women's category made it to finish line in just under 30 seconds. she made it look almost easy. it hurts just to watch them doing this. the winners in