51s welcome fresh energy of opener

It’s not uncommon for opening day to draw the largest, loudest crowd of the season for many teams.

On Thursday at Cashman Field, the stands weren’t full — attendance was announced at 6,232 — and the crowd was relatively quiet as the 51s opened their 34th season in Las Vegas with a 6-4 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies.

But for those on the field, not much can dull the shine of a new season and all the opportunity that comes with it.

“Everybody starts with the same stats,” pitcher Paul Sewald said. “You want to get promoted, especially at this level when you’re in Triple A. Everybody in that locker room wants to get off to a good start. And then hopefully be a piece for the New York Mets at some point.”

Opening day this year was an even bigger event for Sewald, a Las Vegas native and Bishop Gorman High graduate, who pitched at Double-A Binghamton last season.

“It’s pretty exciting, obviously; you get to put 20 or so people on the pass list,” Sewald said. “I’m really excited to play in front of my family, in front of my friends. It’s been crazy the last few days being at home and getting ready for this, but I’m excited to get out there.”

For the first four seasons of his minor league career, Sewald lived with teammates. Now, he’s adjusting to a new team in a familiar place — his parents’ house.

“It’s kind of funny to just come straight from home,” Sewald said. “I was hanging out with my dad. We were watching the Masters. And then it’s just like, ‘Oh, I guess I’ve got to go to the field today,’ so it’s a little bit funny. It’s a little unordinary right now, and then it’ll slowly just start to become a routine.”

Slowly, everything will become routine for the 51s.

“Opening day can be a distraction, especially in the big leagues,” manager Wally Backman said. “There’s so many festivities that are going on before the game. Even on the minor league side, everybody goes out to the line (for introductions). It’s a little bit different. Opening day is more maybe like a playoff atmosphere that first day. You’re doing things that are out of your normal routine for the season.”

There were limited pregame festivities Thursday at Cashman Field, with a couple of ceremonial pitches, an elementary school choir singing the national anthem and players from each team lining up for introductions.

But Backman, who played for 14 seasons in the majors, said opening day comes with adrenaline no matter what’s going on before teams can settle into their new normal.

“When you start that first game, you have all that adrenaline,” he said. “Some people say it’s nerves, but you just have that extra adrenaline until that game’s over. I think it’s always good to get opening day past, and then it seems like you get into your routine and the game’s the game then.”

Betsy Helfand can be reached at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @BetsyHelfand