51s

The new Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin will host the Silver State’s top large-classification high school baseball teams next week on for the 2019 Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association/One Nevada Credit Union 4A State High School Championship tournament, presented by the Station Casinos.

It used to not be a "major" deal when May rolled around and there wasn't professional hockey in Las Vegas. You know, back in the dark ages. In fact, other than the local Triple-A baseball team, it was basically reverse hibernation from the brutal desert sun. But, ever since the Vegas Golden Knights stole the hearts and minds of Sin City with its Stanley Cup Final run last year, May feels empty without VGK hockey.

The first-ever ballgame at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin is in the books, and what a night it was. From celebrity sightings to an airborne, jet-packed mascot all the way down to what seemed like hurricane-force winds, the night was a spectacle worthy of Sin City.

More than 15 years ago, I sat in Las Vegas Aviators owner Don Logan's office and listened to him excitedly lay out his plans for the then-Las Vegas 51s' expected move to Henderson. Not even weeks later, I saw the positive tone in Logan's voice go from optimistic to downtrodden as the Montreal Expos-to-Vegas rumors effectively put negotiations on hold, where they would die a slow death. Now, nearly two decades later, Logan will survey the inaugural Opening Night at the new Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin as the Las Vegas Aviators open 2019 in their new home.

Please fasten your seatbelts and return your tray table to its full upright and locked position because the Las Vegas Aviators are set to take flight this week in their inaugural season. Formerly the Las Vegas 51s, the Aviators enter the 2019 season in a new home as well, shedding Cashman Field for the Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin.

With Opening Night just a few weeks away, the new Las Vegas Aviators are just about set for their April 9 debut. After selling out Opening Night in less than 10 minutes, anticipation is building for the former Las Vegas 51s-turned-Aviators. The sod has been laid, the state-of-the-art scoreboard installed, and even the parking plan is in place — it's just about showtime for the team's inaugural season as the Aviators and the Oakland Athletics' triple-A franchise.

It finally happened. After months felt like years and an offseason felt like a lifetime, Las Vegas native Bryce Harper has agreed to a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. 

With 2018 coming to a close, it's time to look back on the most exciting year in Las Vegas sports history. Some of the greatest sports moments of our lifetime took place. While every sports fan has their special moments of the year, Sin City saw its "major league" sports credibility skyrocket this past year.