Nighthawks Head to Sanford for 2026 Opening Day Against Mainers

By Thaddeus Sawyer

After more than 10 months of waiting, the Nighthawks are back.

Upper Valley will travel to Maine on Thursday to take on the Sanford Mainers, officially marking the start of the Nighthawks’ 10th season.

Though the first pitch will mark 10 years of baseball in the Upper Valley, it will be game number one for new field manager Chase Allen, who will be making his managerial debut for the Nighthawks. The University of Dayton assistant is no stranger to the dugout or the NECBL, having pitched for the Newport Gulls in 2022.

Allen visited Sanford once with the Gulls that season, but this will be his first game in any ballpark in his new role. The former University of Michigan and UNC Charlotte pitcher said that he expects some adrenaline to kick in by game time.

“I’ve done a lot of research on all the guys and just kind of worried about what our guys can do well and less about who it is on the other side,” Allen said. “So, I feel like we're prepared and … we got a good staff, so I feel like we're in a great spot.”

While Allen may be a newcomer, the Opening Day starter is no stranger to the Upper Valley. Mateo Wells, who led the Nighthawks with four saves last summer, gets the nod to kick off his second season with the Nighthawks.

It will be Wells’ first Opening Day start since high school.

“That feels like forever ago,” Wells said. “[At] 
High Point [University], I was just a bullpen piece, but I've always enjoyed it. I like being in control, especially just getting the nod, so I'm very excited. Hopefully, just be efficient and then turn it over to my pen.”

In 50 innings for High Point in 2026, Wells worked to a 4.32 ERA and struck out more than a batter per inning.

Wells mostly worked as a reliever this season at school, starting just three of his 18 appearances. That isn’t to say that Wells isn’t stretched out, however, as the right-hander went at least four innings in each of his last three outings of the year.

“I believe that when you're a starter, just the whole goal is get as many out as you can,” Wells said. “Then, as a reliever, it's more just counting down the outs. Normally, you're in a situation, like in the fifth inning, you're like, ‘all right, I got 12 outs left. Just get all of them.’ 
But as a starter, I'm just trying to give a chance for my team to win the game. That's really the whole mindset.”

Waiting in the bullpen will be fellow returning pitchers Charlie Jones, Wells’ High Point teammate, and former University of West Georgia hurler Mason Phillips, as well as Molloy University reliever Artie Green, who posted a 1.45 ERA in 31 frames.

The Upper Valley lineup this season will feature a similar blend of returners and new faces, with fan favorites like William & Mary first baseman Anthony Greco mixing in with fresh additions like Atlantic 10 First Team outfielder Alex Kelsey.

Catcher Nick Quagliato, who spent 2024 with the Nighthawks, will be one of the biggest boons to the lineup, as the 21-year-old slashed .331/.405/.556 with a .961 OPS to earn first-team All-Northeast Conference honors for Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Kelsey also had an outstanding season for St. Joseph’s University, getting on base at a .489 clip and going 22 for 26 on stolen base attempts. Greco was a steady presence at first for the Tribe, accumulating a .841 OPS after driving in 23 runs for the Nighthawks last season.

University of Hartford catcher Cam Boardman, another returner, posted a .389 on-base percentage with Upper Valley last summer and slashed .267/.395/.449 for Hartford in 2026. The Bradford, Vermont, native was named to the Conference of New England third team.

Facing the new-look Nighthawks lineup will be Rhode Island starter Josh Kopetski, who struggled as a junior this season for the Rams but is expected to get the Opening Day nod for the Mainers.

The left-hander started six of his 15 appearances, but didn’t go more than 1.1 innings in any of his final six outings of the year. The Maine native worked to a 6.49 ERA across 26.1 innings, punching out just 14 batters and walking 15.

If Kopetski can’t right the ship Thursday night, it will be up to a high-powered Mainers position group to keep the game close.

Bentley University utilityman Brendan Sencaj will lead the pack in his second year with the Mainers after posting an .886 OPS with Sanford last summer and an OPS of 1.100 this spring off of 18 home runs.

University of Maine infielders Albert De La Rosa and Troy Carpenter will be staying close to school this summer after posting OPS marks above .800 in 2026. Stony Brook University outfielder Nick Zampieron also surpassed that mark.

University of Connecticut outfielder Nater Wachter led the Big East in games played during the regular season with 56. 

The most intriguing bat may be University of Maryland infielder Jackson Sirois, who slashed .333/.400/.625 in 24 Big Ten play at-bats for the Terrapins.

Less than a week after Opening Night, the Mainers will return the favor and travel to the Maxfield Sports Complex for the Nighthawks’ second home game of the season on Wednesday, June 10, and will come to the Upper Valley again on Friday, June 19. The two teams will play another three times in July.

It’s safe to assume that Nighthawks players hope that the team’s final trip to Sanford on July 17 won’t be their last personally, as the Mainers will host the 2026 NECBL All-Star Game on Sunday, July 26.

For now, however, Upper Valley will have to focus on game one. First pitch at Goodall Field is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Fans can stream the game live for free on the HomeTeam Network website.