Clubhouse Reactions Following Game 4 vs. Billings
Mustangs Knot Things Up In 6-Game Series Friday Night
A Conversation With Manager Michael Schlact:
Q: Despite the final result, and some tough sequences, your team just never quits. It's that never die mentality we've talked about. How will that pressure opponents throughout the season knowing your team will always fight to the end?
Schlact: "The result obviously wasn't what we wanted but the fight is always nice to see. It makes the opponent never let their guard down and often makes them use some of the bullpen they didn't want to use that particular night."
Q: Billings' offense seemed to have a lot more energy tonight. They loaded the bases in every inning from the 4th through the 7th. After 2 quiet nights, what did they execute better offensively?
Schlact: "They did a good job capitalizing. You can't walk 11 batters and win many games."
Q: The 3rd out proved to be allusive in that rally for Billings in the 5th. What will your staff have to do better to avoid that type of scenario in the future?
Schlact:"We have to just be able to put guys away. Getting ahead is everything in this game and we just didn't do a good enough job."
Q: Roberto Pena has come out firing to begin the season. He's homered in 3 straight and has driven in a run in every game for Missoula to this point. He was a feared hitter in this league last season. But what has impressed you most about how he's been swinging the bat?
Schlact: "Roberto has been cutting down on his big swings and misses and chases out of the zone. He's come into this season way more disciplined and it's showing."
Q: Colby Wilkerson was quiet to start off this road trip getting his professional career started this week. But really has come on strong the last 2 games. Was there a moment where you saw the lightbulb start to go off for him?
Schlact: "No real moment stands out. I feel like just getting that first one out of the way was enough to unleash him. He's been good for us on both sides of the ball."
Q: Briley Knight of the Mustangs has been the toughest out in their lineup to this point this week. What has he done well and what adjustments will your staff look to make?
Schlact: "Briley is a good ball player and knows how to handle the bat. We just have to do a better job of executing pitches with him."
Safford's Stars From Friday
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Briley Knight
After playing in 33 games with the Mustangs last season, Knight has been off to an extremely hot start so far over his first 4 games recorded 8 hits in 18 at-bats to lead the Billings offense. Knight would live on base Friday reaching 5 times in the contest. For an offense that was struggling coming in, that surely was the shot in the arm the Mustangs needed to get back in the win column.
The baseball world can also prove to be a small one. Briley's father Brooke Knight has worked as a manager across different levels of baseball. One stop included a stint in the Australian Baseball League. When managing the Adelaide Giants in 2014, one of his players at the time would be none other than current Mustangs skipper Craig Maddox.
Pena's 28 long balls, and 100 RBIs earned him the reputation of one of the league's best power hitters during the 2024 season. If there is one thing Pena did too much last season however, it was strikeout. Pena would finish north of 100 strikeouts in his at-bats last season. As Schlact touched on, he has been much more patient to this point in 2025. Along with the run of success with big swings, Pena has also been able to draw free passes routinely to wait for his pitch.
As a result, he has jumped out to a fabulous start recording 9 RBIs in his first 4 games to go along with 4 home runs. That home run total is tops in the league at this juncture in the early stages of the season. Pena is also top 3 in the league in RBIs so far.
After a quiet night Tuesday, Rosario has come screaming out the gates the last 3 nights finishing 8-for-12 in those games combined. These are the types of performances we come to expect from him as Rosario would finish just a touch behind Adam Fogel for the team lead in batting average last season. Similar to Pena, he also has struck in a multitude of different ways. In Game 2 it was big swings knocking in 4 runs highlighted by a home run. Tonight, Rosario would make solid contact in the clutch knocking in a pair with a 2-out single to right field.
Rosario also has been reluctant to chase pitches out of the zone. The right fielder has not struck out in a single at-bat since Tuesday night. After 2 solid nights of pitching, the PaddleHeads did take one step backward Friday. However, Missoula's offense does not show many signs of slowing down on the flipside. So if players like Rosario, and Pena keep it locked in, expect that trend to continue.