Dave Nichols

There was still a little bit of snow at the very top of the mountains, but in the valley the sun was warm and the grass was green for opening day of baseball in 2026 in Spokane.

There have been plenty of upgrades and renovations to Avista Stadium over the past few seasons as the Spokane Indians organization and Spokane County – owners of the 67-year-old facility – fulfilled requirements to remain compliant with MLB’s Player Development Contract each affiliate had to sign after the restructuring of the minor leagues a few years ago.

The 2026 minor league baseball season is upon us, and the Spokane Indians take the field this year with a new manager, six players in the Colorado Rockies top 30 prospects list and 12 returning players from last season as part of the 28 assigned to the Rockies’ High-A affiliate in the Northwest League.

There's something about these Spokane Chiefs where they play their best when their backs are against the wall. It's an instinct that's keeping them alive in the Western Hockey League postseason.

No team wants to be eliminated on their home ice. Yet, the Spokane Chiefs were faced with that prospect on Wednesday after falling behind Prince George 3-0 in their best-of-seven Western Hockey League Western Conference first-round matchup.

There's an old adage that says a playoff hockey series doesn't really start until the home team loses. So, when the Spokane Chiefs lost the first two games of their Western Conference first-round series on the road in Prince George, Alberta, there wasn't any panic.

When you’re trying to solve a goalie who was an NHL first-round draft pick, it helps to generate a ton of shots and create traffic in front of the net, looking for deflections or rebounds.