The Kalispell Lakers entered this season with a roster full of rookies and an uncertain starting pitching rotation. Judging by their 16-5 record to start the season, they’ve managed to pull together all those loose ends quite nicely, and quickly.
Going into Sunday’s game against the Glacier Twins, the Lakers were batting .350 as a team. In late May, the Lakers traveled to Polson and swept the Mission Valley Mariners in a doubleheader by scores of 17-7 and 8-5, continuing their hot hitting to start the year.
Ryan Malmin, the Lakers’ AA head coach, knew he had talent coming into the season but has been impressed at how rapidly the team has been able to gel. The hitting, he said, “has been a pleasant surprise.”
“We’re putting the ball in play, we’re having quality at-bats,” Malmin said. “That’s a huge key for our success.”
The Lakers are about to enter the meat of their conference schedule, which will ultimately determine whether they qualify for the American Legion Baseball AA state tournament in Butte at the end of July. Malmin, like Glacier Twins Head Coach Lindsay Fansler, believes the race for Western AA’s four spots at the tourney will be tight.
Missoula is the defending champion, while Great Falls will also be tough to beat, as will both Alberta teams – Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. And the Twins, just up the road in Whitefish, have a veteran team capable of making a run at state.
“This year you have a lot of teams returning a lot of veterans,” Malmin said.
Kalispell has its share of veterans as well, which Malmin said has helped with the progression of the rookies. Michael O’Connell returned from playing baseball at the University of Montana to spend another summer with the Lakers, while Joe Pistorese continues to be the state’s best pitcher and one of the best hitters.
“The veterans have done a good job with their leadership,” Malmin said.
Pistorese leads the team in batting average at .467. He also leads the Lakers in doubles with 11, hits with 28, slugging percentage at .900 and RBIs with 23. On the mound, he’s 4-0 with a 0.64 ERA. He has thrown 66 strikeouts in 33 innings, compared to only five walks.
“There’s no question that Joe’s a talented baseball player, but I think he’s made great strides and improvements, in particular his strike-ball ratio,” Malmin said. “His presence on the mound has improved and his leadership has improved.”
O’Connell is batting .438 and is posting solid power numbers, though he’s only played in 12 games after arriving to the team after the season already started. Malmin said O’Connell had a strong season at college and brings important leadership to the young Lakers team.
“He’s a big-time hitter for us,” Malmin said. “We expect big-time production from him.”
Outside of Pistorese, the Lakers’ lineup hasn’t been fully established, Malmin said, with “five or six kids who can come in and throw strikes and give us an opportunity to win.”
O’Connell, Alex Stanley, Louis Freudenberg, Sidney Schenk and Matt McLean all have the ability to be starters. And Malmin said he’s excited to get Dillon Eaves back from a broken arm injury.
“We’re anxious to see what he can add to the staff,” Malmin said.
The Lakers face Great Falls on the road on Friday, followed by a home game against Missoula on Sunday. Malmin hopes his team continues working on the small things that will be necessary to perform well in a competitive Western AA conference.
“You set high expectations and work hard to achieve those expectations,” Malmin said.
For more information and a game schedule, go to www.kalispelllakers.org.