Some kids may still be in school, but the crack of wood bats signal that it’s officially summer on Cape Cod. The players and interns have arrived with only one thing left to do: play ball.

Among the new faces this summer is assistant coach Ryan Hanigan — a former Big League catcher with 11 years of experience playing for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and Colorado Rockies. This addition to the staff is not without homecoming celebration, as Hanigan played for the Firebirds (then Orleans Cardinals) during the 2002 season.

“This was my ticket — my stepping stone,” Hanigan said. “Scouts got to see me play against the best guys and have success.”

Reflecting on his first impressions of this Firebirds squad, Hanigan gave his advice for how the new Birds should treat their Cape Cod summers.

“These guys are all young and talented, but they’ve got a lot to learn,” Hanigan said. “They have to understand how to approach the best pitchers in the country. It’s all [about] learning how to be more consistent and more professional. Baseball is all year, all summer.”

Hanigan said that his main goal this season is to give back to the league that jump started his career.

“I got a lot of help when I was younger. I appreciate the value of this league for my life, and what it can do for others,” Hanigan said. “For these guys, it’s a chance. It’s about having a good time, but if they do well here, they’re on their way."

Along with the new faces are the seasoned veterans. Perhaps nobody has been a more consistent Firebirds presence over the years than manager Kelly Nicholson, who is returning for his 22nd season this summer.

“It’s a group of high character guys,” Nicholson said of his team. “They’re fun to be around, they work, and they have a growth mindset. I’m super excited to watch them play.”

With the hot sun still beating down, the Firebirds kicked off their 2026 season at Gov Fuller Field, taking on the Falmouth Commodores.

The Birds kicked off the top of the first with some immediate traffic. With Commodores starting pitcher Aidan Donovan suffering from control problems early, the Birds filled the bases with walks from Tyler Myatt (Tennessee) and Nate Savoie (Clemson). Unfortunately, nothing would come of the early rally, as Dominic Cadiz (UCLA) grounded into an inning ending double play featuring some elite Commodores defense.

Justin LeGuernic (Clemson) started for the Birds and scuffled in the first despite featuring a high octane fastball. Some tough infield hops and aggressive small ball from Commoders runners lead to a quick three run deficit.

The brutal sun finally passed below the trees as Rex Watson (Coastal Carolina) kicked off the second with a poke into left field, notching the first hit of the season for the Birds. After missing the majority of his 2026 season at University of San Diego due to injury, AJ Beltré Jr. (son of MLB HOFer Adrián) reached on an error by Commodores shortstop Ty Kaunas. An errant pickoff throw from Donovan then allowed Watson to advance to third. Zack Jackson (Virginia) followed by fighting one off into left field, getting the first run on the board for the Birds.

LeGuernic bounced back in the bottom of the second by striking out three Commodores, despite allowing another two runs. The left hander featured an elite fastball, changeup, and slider but struggled with location.

The Birds went quietly in the top of the third before right-hander Andrew Cutler (George Washington) took the mound in the bottom of the inning. The righty sat in the high 80s with his fastball, but gave up a run on a sacrifice fly by JJ Kennett.

Shadows fully engulfed the field as the Birds started a rally in the top of the fourth. Walks from Beltré Jr. and JD Stein (Wake Forest), along with a single from Jackson filled up the bases.

Technical difficulties unexpectedly stalled the Birds rally, as a failure to get the outfield lights to function sent the game into delay. Despite the pleasant temperature, fans were left with questions as Commodores employees scrambled for a fix. After a nearly half hour delay, the lights came on just before the umpires convened to call the game. The show went on and both teams were saved from a Tuesday double header. It was everyone’s first day after all.

After all that excitement, the Birds picked up their sticks again. With a passed ball, single by Rayner Heinrich (Tarleton State), and a sacrifice fly from Savoie, the Birds put up three runs — cutting Falmouth’s lead to two.

Brayden Toro took the mound for the Birds in the bottom of the fourth. A young Firebirds team still looking to get on the same page couldn’t back him up defensively, and three runs scored. Toro struck out the last two batters to get out of the jam.

The Birds went down 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth. Toro fought back in his second inning of work, facing the minimum three batters and racking up a strikeout. A seed from the catcher Savoie cut down Nick Venteicher as he attempted to steal second.

Casey Euper (Pepperdine) was dialed in when he took the mound in the sixth, striking out two batters without much trouble. The lefty hurler displayed a mid-90s fastball and a devastating curve that left hitters looking for an answer. Euper returned for the seventh, where he pitched another scoreless inning.

Unfortunately, the Firebirds bats fell silent in the latter half of the game, failing to score after the fourth inning. Despite some exciting individual performances and the pitching staff racking up 13 strikeouts, the Birds dropped the season opener on a night when they just couldn’t get the job done. The contest lasted nearly four hours including the delay.

“The four basics of playing good baseball are commanding the strike zone, putting the ball in play, playing catch, and running the bases well,” Nicholson said. “We only did one of those things well today.”

The Birds will look to turn things around at their home opener on Sunday as they return to historic Eldredge Park — the place they’ve called home since 1928. According to Nicholson, Brennan Seiber (Vanderbilt) will make the start. The junior from Newport Beach, CA will be looking to bring Firebirds fans the highly anticipated first win of the season.