UM baseball moving forward

The University of Montana club baseball team doesn’t seek the limelight. Many people on campus don’t even know UM has a baseball team. And that’s OK with them; they don’t do it for the recognition.

“Baseball is a game, and if you love the game you play it anytime you can,” said senior first baseman Match Elliott.  It is great to be able to continue playing even without the credit, he said. “To have teachers look at you and say ‘Baseball? We don’t have a baseball team.’”

Montana baseball is starting to get noticed.

Earlier this month the Grizzlies took a game from the Weber State Wildcats, a top 10 team in the National Club Baseball Association.

Senior centerfielder Jeff Fritchman said the game was the highlight of the season thus far.

Playing well against Weber and showing the home fans the kind of talent the team has was something special, Fritchman said.

Due to a lack of funding and unpredictable spring weather, Montana has had less time than most of its conference counterparts to prepare for the season.
Junior outfielder Lew Bodman said it is obvious when teams have seen more practice and playing time.

“It is something we have to deal with,” he said. “Practice is a factor. Take a team like Weber: Those guys play so clean and that is just from more reps, more practice.”

Elliot agreed with his teammate, saying that lack of games and practice time can be a hard thing to overcome.

“For us having practice being canceled because of snow – weekly – is tough,” he said. “But with everything we’ve got going on, and all our great players we have, we have been able to get over that and still compete.”

Montana has remained competitive in the Northern Pacific Conference’s East League, which consists of Weber State, Utah State, Montana State, Idaho and Idaho State.

Montana (2-4, 4-6 overall) is two games behind Montana State (3-3) for third in the conference. The top two teams in the conference at season’s end advance to the regional tournament. 

Weber State’s conference record of 7-1 is best in the conference, while Utah State’s 6-1 record is second. Both teams’ conference defeats have come at the hands of the Grizzlies.

Bodman said playing and beating experienced, nationally recognized teams in Utah State and Weber State shows the kind of talent Montana has.

“It really tests how good of a team we are,” he said. “But that is what we practice for, is to be the best. Those teams are our two true tests.”

Fritchman said Montana has the talent to be on par with some of the elite teams in the NCBA, it is just a matter of harnessing those raw abilities.

This season Montana baseball has proven its desire to continue to move forward.

The Griz have had a club baseball team for the past 15 seasons, but it wasn’t until three seasons ago that the team was recognized by the NCBA. 

In their first season of recognition Montana went 14-3 and qualified for the regional tournament, but wasn’t able to go due to lack of funding.

Last season was a rebuilding year for the team. The team had lost a majority of its core to graduation and finished near the bottom of the conference.

“Last year we were desperate just to get guys out there,” Fritchman said.

This fall Montana had a record number show up for tryouts.  Nearly 50 players vied for a spot on the 23-man roster.

“Even with last year’s debacle of a team, we had a great turnout,” Elliot said. “If you get that many people coming out, you’re going to find talent.”

Fritchman said this year’s team is “night and day” from last season.

“We’ve got guys out there that want to win and because of that we’ve played a lot better this year and have been winning more games,” he said. “We have a good core group of guys on the team this year.”

Junior pitcher Casey Siekaniec said he takes much more away from club baseball than just wins and losses. 

“I’ve played at other schools and it is one of the most fun things I’ve done while at school,” he said. “You get to meet a bunch of people and make good friends. It is a great atmosphere because everyone wants to be there, everyone wants to have a good time.”

Montana hosts Idaho State this weekend at the Missoula Maverick’s Legion Field and archrival Montana State the following weekend.

Elliot has simple advice to potential fans.

“Come out and watch some baseball,” he said. “We put on a good show.”