DAYTON — The hoopla of opening night Thursday at Fifth Third Field didn’t bother Dayton Dragons starting pitcher Justice French.

He ignored the skydivers, the C-17 flyover, the dugout dancers, the baby race between innings and everything else that might have flustered a young pitcher.

“The Hummer that drove past me (before the game) was a little startling,” French said, “but besides that it was a good experience. It wasn’t that different. It was loud. It’s fun having fans there. It makes it fun for the guys. It’s an honor to be out here.”

A crowd of 8,402 — who added to the professional sports record for consecutive sellouts, now at 845 — must have felt honored too, seeing such a complete performance in the first game of the season.

Behind six near-flawless innings by French and a defense that didn’t commit an error until the ninth, the Dragons blanked the West Michigan Whitecaps 3-0 and, for one night at least, showed the kind of talent that produced the best season in franchise history last season.

“It’s the first game. The kids were excited,” Dragons manager Delino DeShields said. “It’s always good to get that first one out of the way, especially on a cold night. They played well.”

French, a 25th-round pick in the 2011 draft, didn’t allow a hit until the fourth and never let a batter get as far as third base. He struck out eight and allowed two hits and two walks.

“He did what I’ve seen him do all spring training,” DeShields said. “He changes speeds and keeps guys off balance. Nobody has figured him out yet.”

Dayton’s hitting stars came from the bottom of the order. Steve Selsky, batting seventh, went 3-for-4. Juan Perez, hitting eighth, went 2-for-3 with a pair of triples. The No. 9 hitter, catcher Yovan Gonzalez, drove in Dayton’s third run.

Perez, a 26th-round pick in 2011, was just happy to put on a good show for the fans.

“There was a lot of pressure on us,” Perez said. “There were a lot of records set here last year. A lot of things happened here. To get that win and get the fans going, it felt good. It was really important.”

Perez spent last season in the Arizona Rookie League, which might have nicer weather than Dayton in April, but not the same level of fan support.

“It was different,” Perez said. “In the Arizona League, the fans were your parents. This was nice. You get that hit, and everyone starts roaring. It feels good.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351 or David.Jablonski@ coxinc.com.