El Paso Chihuahuas Celebrate 13th Home Opener

Fans welcome back their beloved minor league baseball team with extravagant outfits and high anticipation for the new season.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 2:23pm

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The El Paso Chihuahuas kicked off their 13th home season at Southwest University Park, welcoming back fans eager to celebrate the start of another year of minor league baseball in the city. Longtime supporters Toni and Janae Sustaita arrived in colorful, over-the-top outfits to show their team spirit, while the Nunez family and other longtime season ticket holders lined up early to secure their spots for the home opener against the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Why it matters

Opening day for the Chihuahuas is a cherished annual tradition in El Paso, marking the return of professional baseball to the city and the start of summer. The team's loyal fanbase, many of whom have followed the franchise since its inception, eagerly anticipate this day each year, treating it as a community celebration on par with a holiday.

The details

The Chihuahuas celebrated their home opener on April 7, 2026, welcoming 7,237 fans to Southwest University Park. Longtime supporters Toni and Janae Sustaita arrived in colorful, over-the-top outfits featuring neon jerseys, face paint, and large sombreros to show their team spirit. The Nunez family, including 10-year-old Emilio who brought a glove hoping to catch a ball, were the first in line among single-game ticket holders, eager to kick off the new season. Other longtime season ticket holders like Terry and Pete Dunavant, who have never missed a Chihuahuas' home opener, were also on hand for the festivities.

  • The Chihuahuas celebrated their 13th home season on April 7, 2026.
  • The team opened the 2026 season with 9 road games before playing their home opener.

The players

Toni Sustaita

A longtime Chihuahuas fan who attended the home opener with her daughter Janae, both wearing extravagant outfits to show their team spirit.

Janae Sustaita

The daughter of Toni Sustaita, who joined her mother in wearing colorful, over-the-top outfits to the Chihuahuas' home opener.

Emilio Nunez

A 10-year-old fan who arrived early with his parents, Santos and Giselle Nunez, hoping to catch a ball at the home opener.

Terry Dunavant

A longtime Chihuahuas season ticket holder who has never missed the team's home opener.

Pete Dunavant

Terry Dunavant's husband, who has also never missed a Chihuahuas' home opener and looks forward to the start of each new season.

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What they’re saying

“We love baseball, we always want to be extravagant. This is my mom's idea, but I'm always down for her crazy ideas. We want to be the best ones out here and I think we accomplished that today.”

— Janae Sustaita

“We love baseball, we have a lot of inspiration and we want to show our support for the team. We want to be those outgoing people and let them know how much support they have in El Paso. This is part of our tradition and culture.”

— Toni Sustaita

“Opening day is my favorite day of the year. We've been looking forward to this since spring training. We got to see some players out there, we can't wait to see them on the field. We're always here on the first day, it's like Christmas for us.”

— Toni Sustaita

“Opening day is a rebirth, it's fun to get our staff back together, our seat holders, our corporate partners and kick off summer. There's nothing like opening day. This is my 32nd one (across all of baseball) and I still get excited.”

— Brad Taylor, Chihuahuas President

“I love opening day, there's such a buzz around the ballpark. The team looks strong for 2026, first of 75 home games. There are a lot of memories, a lot of stories, a lot of eventful games to come, the excitement of not knowing what the season will bring.”

— Tim Hagerty, Chihuahuas Radio Announcer

What’s next

The Chihuahuas will look to build on their 5-4 start to the season as they continue their home stand against the Albuquerque Isotopes.

The takeaway

The Chihuahuas' home opener is a cherished annual tradition in El Paso, marking the return of professional baseball to the city and the start of summer. The team's loyal fanbase, many of whom have followed the franchise since its inception, eagerly anticipate this day each year, treating it as a community celebration on par with a holiday.