MCKINNEY, Texas—A new era in Texarkana sports will be ushered in tonight when the Texarkana Gunslingers play their first official Continental Baseball League game.

The regular-season opener takes place at 7:05 against the McKinney Blue Thunder at the Ball Fields at Craig Ranch.

The two teams met in an exhibition game last Friday in Greenville, and the 4-1 Texarkana win left manager Steve Trout champing at the bit to get things started for real.

“We looked like a good professional baseball team,” Trout said as he put his team through a final workout Thursd...