Nelson Warriors Celebrate Opening Day with Strong Victory

Break out the bunting and cue the sun, the Nelson Warriors opened their 2026 baseball season in emphatic fashion, earning a 6-1 victory over cross-town rival Justice in a dominant Opening Day performance that set the tone for what promises to be an exciting campaign.

Justice struck first, plating a run in the top of the first inning, although due to the lights out pitching performances from Nathan Simmons and Matthew Shulz, that would be all they would be the only damage they inflicted all night.

After threatening in the bottom of each of the first two innings, Nelson grabbed the lead for good in the third when Sam Hess launched a towering two-run home run, sending the home crowd into a frenzy and flipping the momentum for good. The Warriors added insurance runs in the fourth, capitalizing on their disciplined approach at the plate: Schulz drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, followed immediately by Gannon Aguilar's two-run single that pushed the advantage to 5-1. The scoring concluded in the seventh when Gerardo Paco—who had walked, stolen second, and advanced to third on another wild pitch—scored on yet another wild pitch, capping a night of relentless pressure and opportunistic base-running.

The Warriors' patience at the dish was the story of the evening as they recorded just 7 hits but drew an Manager-appreciated 12 walks (led by Paco's three free passes) while striking out only 8 times. The top of the order was particularly lethal with the 1-4 hitters combining to go 4-for-12 with 4 runs scored, 7 walks, 3 RBI, and just 2 strikeouts. Schulz led the way offensively, finishing with a game high three hits in four Abs, including two doubles.

On the mound, Nathan Simmons delivered a strong Opening Day start, tossing five innings of one-run ball on 95 pitches. He allowed just 2 hits and 2 walks while fanning 7. Matthew Shulz then took over in relief and was lights-out, throwing four scoreless innings, surrendering only 2 hits, and striking out a game-high 9 batters on an efficient 69 pitches to close the door.

The 6-1 win showcased everything the Warriors aim to be: patient at the plate, opportunistic with runners on, and dominant on the mound.

The Warriors next take on Taylor college on January 23, at 3pm at Arizona Christian University's Firestorm Field in Glendale.

Do not forget to follow Nelson Athletics on X at @NelsonWarriors and Instagram at @nelsonwarriors.athletics.