LAKE ELSINORE – The Lake Elsinore Storm opened the 2026 Minor League Baseball season with a flurry of historic milestones, offensive explosions, and emotional farewells. We saw the team make history on the road before returning to Diamond Stadium for an action-packed opening homestand.
The season began late last week when the Storm traveled to face the newly minted Ontario Tower Buzzers. Lake Elsinore earned the honor of playing the very first game at the brand-new ONT Field. On Thursday, April 2, the Storm defeated the Buzzers 7-5 in front of 6,611 fans to secure the first win in the facility’s history.
Starting pitcher Bryan Balzer dominated over four innings, striking out seven batters and allowing just one run. Catcher Ty Harvey delivered the defining hit with a three-run double in a five-run third inning. The game ended on a rare and spectacular play when shortstop Jorge Quintana tagged out a sliding runner after catching a one-hop throw from Harvey.
The rest of the opening series brought mixed results. The Buzzers responded on Friday, April 3, handing the Storm a 16-0 defeat to claim their first franchise victory. Saturday offered a much tighter contest. Center fielder Ryan Wideman crushed his first home run of the year over the left-field wall in the fifth inning, and Storm pitchers struck out an astonishing 18 batters. However, Ontario hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to secure a 6-4 win and take the series.
Lake Elsinore returned to Diamond Stadium on Tuesday, April 7, to host the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes for the home opener. A crowd of 2,246 fans gathered to celebrate, though the Storm fell 16-3. Starting pitcher Winyer Chourio provided a bright spot, striking out six and giving up only one run in four innings before the bullpen surrendered 15 runs. Offensively, Justin DeCriscio and Conner Westenburg each tallied two hits.
Opening Night carried special significance beyond the diamond. The organization celebrated Kaz Egan in his final game as the on-field emcee. After entertaining fans for seven seasons, Egan accepted a new role with the Savannah Bananas organization. The team also honored Terry Fox, the Thunder Cares Golf Tournament Director. Thunder Cares operates as the official charity arm of the Storm, and Fox has driven exceptional growth for its annual golf tournament over the past two years. The next tournament takes place Oct. 26 at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona.
The series against the Quakes delivered wild swings in momentum. On Thursday, everything clicked for Lake Elsinore in a massive 21-0 shutout victory over Rancho Cucamonga. The Quakes bounced back over the weekend, utilizing a strong bullpen to edge out a 5-4 win on Friday and leaning on their pitching staff again for a 5-0 shutout on Saturday. Refusing to go quietly, the Storm lineup erupted on Sunday afternoon. Lake Elsinore overpowered Rancho Cucamonga 14-6 in the finale, earning a split in the six-game series.
We now look ahead as the Storm travels to face Stockton this week. The team returns to Diamond Stadium on April 21 to begin a new home series against Visalia. Fans can secure seats for upcoming games by emailing tickets@stormbaseball.com or visiting the Diamond Stadium Box Office prior to the first pitch.
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