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Thursday, Jordan Beck shook his head when asked if he had any Opening Day memories that stood out.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 necessarily know off top of my head,鈥� the 22-year-old former University of Tennessee star outfielder now playing for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Isotopes said. 鈥淎ll opening days are super fun, obviously. Good energy. 鈥� But I can鈥檛 really say I鈥檝e had any amazing memories.鈥�

Friday might not rise to the level of 鈥渁mazing鈥�, but his fourth-inning, 450-foot, two-run home run launched over the centerfield wall 鈥� his first homer at the Triple-A level and responsible for the first two runs of the 2024 Isotopes鈥� season certainly made for a memorable debut.

Unfortunately, he also accounted for the final out of the game 鈥� striking out with a runner on first in a 6-5 loss to the visiting El Paso Chihuahuas 鈥� the start of a three=game home stand and Game 1 of 150 for the team鈥檚 21st season.

Beck led sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 offensive charge, going 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk, a home run and two RBIs. His ninth-inning strikeout, his only one of the game, was the Isotopes鈥� 15th of the night, a new franchise record for Opening Day.

But, as always, Opening Night 鈥� or any night at an Isotopes game 鈥� is hardly about the outcome on the field.

鈥淲e always have a blast here,鈥� Maria De La Fuente, a regular at Isotopes Park and the old sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Stadium before that. 鈥淚 come here with my sister and we probably watch 20 games a year or so. Can鈥檛 beat a night with a beer and some baseball.鈥�

Beck鈥檚 fourth-inning homer gave the Isotopes a chance to test out their new toy purchased in the offseason.

Seconds after Beck smashed a 1-0, one-out pitch from Chihuahuas starting pitcher Nolan Watson into the small green shrubbery beyond the outfield wall, Kris Shepard, the Isotopes director of video operations and production and his crew flipped the switch on the fancy new LED lights system to offer a strobe-like light show as Beck and teammate Sam Hilliard rounded the bases.

The successful, multicolored light show 鈥� which is expected to accompany all Isotopes home runs 鈥� seemed to be a hit with the announced opening night crowd of 6,118.

Among them, 7-year-old Allie Alibre, was surely happy, even if she didn鈥檛 yet know the name of Beck, or any other Isotopes player.

鈥淚 like Orbit and I like the Isotopes,鈥� she said, wearing her new red, Elmer Fudd-like ear flap hat with an Isotopes logo on the front 鈥� a pregame giveaway to the first 3,000 fans in the ballpark.

She and her dad, Henry, were enjoying a close look at the Perfection Honda billboard out beyond the left-field bullpens 鈥� Allie was fascinated to learn it wasn鈥檛 a large board at all but a tarp stretched out over a metal framing 鈥� when a reporter stopped them to talk to them about Opening Day.

It was a first for Allie, and one of many through the years for Henry, a Milwaukee Brewers fan who was making his first stop at an Isotopes Opening night.

鈥淭hey do great with making this fun for a family like ours, even when they (his kids) don鈥檛 know the team all that much,鈥� Alibre said.

MOMENT OF SILENCE: The Isotopes asked fans to observe a pregame moment of silence Friday for five people: New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare, who was killed in the line of duty on March 15; longtime sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Police Department Officer Lou Golson, who died last week after a long battle with cancer and who threw out the first pitch on Isotopes鈥� Opening Night in 2015 after being shot in the line of duty; Rio Grande High School player Isaac Venzor Prado, who died this past week; former Isotopes usher Cliff Tanner; and longtime Isotopes season ticket holder Ron Jaynes.

RENT DUE: Isotopes General Manager John Traub presented sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Mayor Tim Keller with a large, oversized check for $1,788,119.49 in a pregame ceremony.

The annual novelty check passing symbolizes the percentage of gross receipts revenue the franchise gives the city for use of the stadium since 2003.

OFF THE COURT: The back-to-back-to-back Class 5A state champion Volcano Vista boys basketball team was asked to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Friday.

With his team standing behind him, many donning their free red ear flap giveaway hats handed out at the stadium gates to the first 3,000 fans, head coach Greg Brown fired a strike to guest catcher, Keller, who did set that large oversized check down long enough to catch the first pitch.

FAST FOOD: Taco cruised to an opening night win in the fan-favorite chile races, edging Green Chile at the tape.

Inexplicably, there was no celebratory light show after the triumph.