Jackfish celebrate 2025 championship with dominant sold-out home opener win over Guelph

The 2026 season started exactly how the 2025 season ended for Robert Mullen — with fireworks.

Fresh off being named playoff MVP during the Welland Jackfish’s championship run last season, Mullen crushed two home runs and drove in five runs Saturday night as the Jackfish rolled to a 10-1 victory over the Guelph Royals in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,298 fans at Welland Stadium.

Mullen wasted little time electrifying The Pond, launching a three-run homer in the first inning before adding a two-run blast later in the game to cap off a monster night at the plate.

“Robert was fantastic. He really put on a show for a sold-out crowd,” said Jackfish Field Manager Brian Essery.

Brandon Hupe also went deep for Welland as the Jackfish offense continued its scorching start to the season.

On the mound, Teodoro Ortega settled in after an early jam and delivered six strong innings to earn the victory. The right-hander struck out six batters, including back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded to end his outing.

“Teo shut it down after a rocky first inning,” added Essery.

The defending champions have now outscored opponents 22-2 through their opening two games after a 12-1 victory in Brantford on Friday night.

“Amazing start. You couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Essery. “We have such a great group this year and a lot of talent. We loved the crowd and the energy all night tonight.”

The Jackfish return to action Thursday night in Barrie before returning home next Saturday to host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Welland Stadium.

Tickets are available now at tickets.wellandjackfish.com