The Edmonton Cubs and Red Deer Riggers both opened their 2026 seasons with wins on opening day action of the Sunburst Baseball League in the province of Alberta on Monday evening. 

For the Riggers, last year's Sunburst League champions, they opened their season with a decisive 14 - 3 win over the Calgary Diamondbackson the road at Webber Athletic Park. Red Deer wasted no time in this one putting up three runs in the top of the 1st inning for an early 3 - 0 lead. Calgary would answer back in the bottom of the inning with two runs of their own cutting the lead to 3 - 2. After a scoreless 2nd inning, the Riggers would put their foot on the gas and not look back in this one. They would score four runs in the 3rd inning, five more runs in the 4th inning and two runs in the 5th inning. The D-Backs would get a single run in the 3rd inning but this game early due to the league mercy rule. 

Offensively for Red Deer, they were led by Jason Louis who was 3-for-3 in the game with a HR, a double and a walk while scoring four runs and collecting four RBIs. Veteran Tyler McWillie was 1-for-2 with a double, a pair of walks, four runs and an RBI while Owen Coumont was 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and a pair of RBIs. Mason Love-Hollman and Kyle Bellich were both 1-for-4 in the game each with a double and a run scored. Austin Moore was 0-for-1 with three walks, a pair of runs and an RBI whuile Alex Lemieux rounded out the offensive going 0-for-2 with a walk, a run and a pair of RBIs. For Calgary, they were led by Duncan Eglert who was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Nolan Handley was 1-for-2 with a walk, a run and a pair of RBIs while veteran Alex Bishop was 1-for-2 with a run scored. Nolan King wrapped up the Diamondbacks offense with an RBI.

On the hill, Tyler MacWillie was working some double duty as he pitched up the win for the Riggers. He toossed four innings allowing three runs (all earned) on three hits while walking four and striking out five. David Guldranson threw the 5th inning allowing only a hit while striking out one. Andrew Malone was the starter for Calgary and took the loss going 3 2/3 innings allwoing 10 runs (all earned) on six hits while walking six and striking out three. JP Willner threw the next 1 1/3 innings allowing four runs (two earned) on one hit while walking four and striking out one. 

In other action, the Edmonton Cubs got their season off to a great start as they traveled to Centennial Park and downed the Sherwood Park Athletics by a score of 13 - 3. After a scoreless 1st inning, the Cubbies opened the scoring in the 2nd inning plating a pair of runs for a 2 - 0 lead. The Athletics would answer right back though as they would plate a pair of runs of their own in the bottom of the 2nd inning and add another run in the 3rd inning for a 3 - 2 lead. That lead would be short lived though as the Edmonton bats woke up over the next couple of innings scoring five runs in both of the 4th and 5th innings running the score to 12 - 3. They would add one more run in the 6th inning making the score 13 - 3 ending the game due to the league mercy rule. 

Offensively for Edmonton, they were led by Dan Chappel who was 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. Cory Scammell also had a pair of hits going 2-for-4 with two RBIs while David LeBlanc was 1-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs. Garrett Cyr was 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs scored and two RBIs while Blake Davis was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run scored and two RBIs. Clay Davis was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and three runs scored while Brendan Wiun was 1-for-3 with a double a walk and three runs scored. Josh Croft was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a runs scored while Jarvis Greiner wrapped up the Cubs offense with a pair of runs scored. For Sherwood Park, they were led offensively by Bronson Paetsch who was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Connor Williams and veteran RJ Bourjet were each 1-for-3 with an RBI while Jeremy Harasymchuk and Greg Wallace each scored a run as well. 

On the mound, Eedmonton veteran hurler Jarvis Greiner was the beneficary of all of the offense as he went the distance tossing six innings allowing three runs (all earned) scattering eight hits while walking four and striking out five. Carter MacDonald, one of four Athletics hurlers this game, was saddled with the loss as he went two innings allowing 10 runs (five earned) on four hits while walking seven and striking out one. Brett Higgins tossed two innings allowing two runs (both earned) on two hits with a strikeout. Jeremy Harasymchuk tossed an inning allowing an earned run on three hits and a strikeout while Andrew Mirasty tossed a scoreless inning allowing a hit and collecting a strikeout. 

Action in the Sunburst League will pick up again on Friday night as the Red Deer Riggers (1 - 0) will make their way back to Webber Athletic Park to take on the Calgary Rockies (0 - 0) in their season debut.