Gabriel Hughes dominates in High-A debut, Spokane Indians beat defending NWL champ Eugene on opening day

After three consecutive rainouts to start the Northwest League season, the wet weather eventually moved out of the area, the clouds parted – off and on, anyway – and professional baseball made its way back to Spokane for the 2023 season.

And if you put stock into MLB prospect lists, the Indians roster to start the season is stacked.

The top five batters in the Indians order on opening day Tuesday at Avista Stadium are all part of the Colorado Rockies’ top 30 prospects: infielder Sterlin Thompson (No. 8), center fielder Benny Montgomery (No. 5), right fielder Yanquiel Fernandez (No. 11), left fielder Jordan Beck (No. 10) and designated hitter Juan Guerrero (No. 22).

Starting pitcher Gabriel Hughes, the Rockies’ first-round pick (10th overall) in the 2022 MLB draft out of Gonzaga, is No. 6 on that list. Hughes went 8-3 with 138 strikeouts in 98 innings as a sophomore for the Zags last year. He made his pro debut in September with a scoreless three-inning stint for Low-A Fresno and made a second scoreless appearance for the Grizzlies in the playoffs.

He made a spectacular first start for the big league club during spring training in March, a one-hit, three-inning shutout stint with four strikeouts against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His High-A debut was just as impressive.

Hughes dominated over five no-hit, no-walk shutout innings with six strikeouts and the Indians kicked off the season with a 7-4 win over the defending NWL champion Eugene Emeralds.

Hughes was slated to start the season opener in Vancouver on Friday, but the rotation kept getting pushed back as the rainouts piled up, allowing him to make a triumphant return to Spokane on opening night.

“It was a little cold, but you know, you warm up as the game goes on,” Hughes said. “But I’m happy to get out there, happy to get the first one out of the way.”

Indians new manager Robinson Cancel was happy with the outcome. 

“It definitely feels good. The guys did a tremendous job all the way around.”

The only reason Hughes’ appearance wasn’t “perfect” was due to a fielding error in the fifth inning by Thompson at third base.

Hughes threw 63 pitches, 41 for strikes. He picked up two called strikeouts, one on a breaking ball.

“He’s got good stuff, man,” Cancel said. “That’s what we expect out of him. He’s a first rounder. Good stuff, throws the ball over the plate. Good command. I mean, awesome job today.”

“I think (I was) a little nervous, just first game of the year,” Hughes said. “We haven’t played yet, so going out opening night it’s gonna be nervous no matter what. But you get out there and you realize it’s still the same game. You’re still out there playing baseball, still out there pitching. So it becomes a lot more fun after that.”

“It’s excellent stuff right there,” pitching coach Ryan Kibler said. “The fastball-slider combination from Hughes was outstanding.

“That was a great debut right there.”

Hughes capped a 1-2-3 first with a swinging strikeout to end the inning.

“I mean, every strikeout feels good, but when you can end the inning with a strikeout and be able to walk off, that’s a really good feeling.”

He got Luis Toribio looking on a breaking ball in the second and picked up two more strikeouts in the third.

“The breaking ball got better as he went on and it turned into a weapon,” Kibler said. “And he changed speeds with it. Made it a little bigger there later – I really liked that.”

Hughes picked up his sixth strikeout on the second out in the fifth. Eugene’s Adrian Sugastey followed with a routine one-hopper to third that bounced out of Thompson’s glove for an error, but Hughes came back to get Carter Williams on a popout.

“A lot of hoopla going on around here tonight,” Kibler said.  “A lot to think about. (Hughes) had (three) days to sit in a hotel to build this up on his own and then he still comes out and performs. That’s pretty impressive.”

The Indians got on the board in the third. Nic Kent drew a walk, went to third on a pair of wild pitches, and scored on an RBI single by Thompson through a drawn-in infield – his second hit of the game.

Catcher Braxton Fulford, who hit 15 homers last year at Fresno, hit his first in Spokane – a two-run shot – to give the Indians a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

Spokane added two in the fifth – the first on a wild pitch, then a double steal that allowed Thompson to steal home. The Indians loaded the bases on three consecutive walks, but AJ Lewis’ liner was snared by Victor Bericoto at first.

Thompson, the 31st overall selection in last year’s MLB draft, finished 3 for 5 with an RBI.

“It felt great,” Thompson said. “It was great to come out tonight and play together and just enjoy the experience in Spokane.”

Montgomery doubled high off the wall in center to drive in the Indians’ sixth run in the sixth.

“It’s a really talented group,” Thompson said. “We have high expectations for this season… Do what we do, be ourselves and just go out every day and play hard and have fun.” 

The Emeralds (1-2) got to reliever Tyler Ahearn for three runs in the seventh. Williams had the big hit, a two-run homer to the short porch in right.