Crabs open 82nd season with 13-0 shutout in Arcata

The Humboldt Crabs opened their 82nd season by turning Arcata Ball Park back into a summer gathering place, then backing the atmosphere with a 13-0 rout of the Novato Knicks. With the Crab Grass Band in the stands and a crowd Redwood News described as a couple hundred north of a thousand, opening night felt less like a simple baseball game than one of Humboldt County’s most familiar civic rituals.

Aiden Dorsch set the tone from the mound. The former Humboldt-Del Norte League standout worked six hitless innings, giving the Crabs complete control from the start. Afterward, Dorsch said, “I feel good. It’s good to be back in Arcata. The support from the crowd is great. Stuff was working tonight.” That combination of local roots, a packed ballpark and a dominant start is exactly why Crabs baseball still lands so strongly in Arcata after 82 seasons.

The offense backed him immediately. The Crabs finished with 13 hits and broke the game open in the second inning with five doubles, a burst that showed the lineup was producing in every part of the order instead of leaning on one big swing. By the time the night was over, the Novato Knicks had been shut out and the home crowd had already gotten the kind of early-season statement that tends to travel fast around Humboldt.

The shutout was completed by two more North Coast arms. Ben Lukens of Arcata and Jackson Kelly of McKinleyville helped preserve the blanking after Dorsch exited, keeping the scoreline intact for a Crabs team that has built its identity on local pitching and local names. On the other side of the dugout, Jeff Giacomini made his debut as manager, with Saint Bernard’s Matt Tomlin serving as pitching coach and Eureka High head coach Tommy Gale also on staff.

That continuity matters in a program that dates to 1945 and says it is the oldest continuously-operated summer collegiate baseball team in the country. The Crabs’ 2026 schedule listed opening night for May 29 against the Knicks, with the night marked as Welcome Ceremony, Opening Night and Sci-Fi Night, and the organization has tied the season to Arcata Ball Park, which it rents from the City of Arcata during the summer months.

HumboldtSports reported the weekend ended as a sweep, with the Crabs also winning 12-1 on Saturday and finishing the series on Sunday. But the opening-night scene, the crowd, the band and Dorsch’s six hitless innings made clear why the Crabs remain one of the county’s most recognizable summer institutions.