ADA, Okla. – Rogers State baseball (1-0) opened the 2025 campaign with a bang as they rolled to a 10-0 win over East Central (0-4) in the season opener on the road Tuesday.
 
"Opening Day is always scary because you never know what it's going to look like with so many new guys and those first-game jitters, but I was extremely pleased with our overall approach and performance," said head coach Chris Klimas. "When you can get seven innings of no-run baseball from the guys on the mound, hang a zero in the errors column and double-digit hits and runs, you'll take that any day!"
 
The Hillcats started hot putting up four runs in the first inning. Luis Fuentes got things started as he drew a walk. Jackson Romero followed that by reaching on an error by the third baseman. A ground out by Andrew Ramirez put both runners in scoring position with two outs. Jake Mitchell drove in Fuentes with a single and later stole second. Andres Contreras capped off the frame as he unloaded on a pitch, sending it out of the park for a three-run blast, scoring Romero and Mitchell.
 
RSU tacked on two more runs in the second to go 6-0. Tyler Nelson drove in Weston Peninger with a sacrifice fly to center. Fuentes later drove in Carson Cheatwood with a double down the line.
 
They added two more runs in the third to push out to an 8-0 advantage. Peninger returned the favor from the previous inning as he plated Contreras with a sacrifice fly to left. Geovanni Blackshaw then came in on a Cheatwood single to left.
 
In the top of the fourth, Fuentes was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Romero plated him with a single to right to increase the lead to 9-0.
 
After the first two scoreless innings of the game, Blake Nichols blasted the game-winning home run in the top of the seventh to secure the 10-0, opening day victory.
 
Colton Anderson (1-0) earned the win, working 5.0 shutout innings as he scattered two hits with five strikeouts. Landon Riley was also outstanding out of the bullpen, with 2.0 perfect innings and one strikeout. Cal Birchfield (0-1) suffered the loss.
 
The Hillcats will open up the newly renovated RCB Bank Sports Complex (formerly the Diamond Sports Complex) with the first home series of the year beginning on Friday, Feb. 7 against Upper Iowa. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.