Clubhouse Reactions Following Game 13 vs. Great Falls
PaddleHeads Obliterate Voyagers In Offensive Showcase
A Postgame Conversation with Manager Michael Schlact
Q: 2 home runs with 2 outs in the top of the 1st obviously proved to be a sign of things to come for your offense. How did that early success propel you on the 1st day of this road trip?
Schlact: "This game is all about momentum. I felt like we set the tone early in our dugout with confidence and energy. Proud of the guys."
Q: You made a few tweaks to the lineup tonight. You could say that those changes worked out well. What went into the construction of this lineup?
Schlact: "As the season rolls along we're always trying to figure out where guys fit best in all the schemes of the game. The lineup tweaks were simply just a product of trying to protect certain guys and give others an opportunity in spots we felt they could thrive in."
Q: Roberto Pena had a night to remember obliterating 3 home runs to keep his tremendous run going. Pena also was far from alone as your team tallied 8 home runs on the night. How did he set the tone for the entire offense?
Schlact: "Homers are great. But I was more proud of the approach each guy had and staying locked in as the game went on. The at bats were just as competitive in the 8th as they were in the first."
Q: You had 6 players in the lineup tonight that finished with 3 hits or more. Of those players, 4 of them drove in at least 4 runs in the victory. You cannot expect to score 20 runs per game. However, having an offense that clicks as a unit is what has given your team success in years past. Was it great to see that put on full display tonight?
Schlact: "Any time we're rolling off each other's success in the lineup and picking each other up it'll be a good night. Having them clicking on all cylinders is nice. That felt like a traditional PaddleHead game right there."
Q: After a dicey 1st inning Mike Peterson really locked it in having his best outing of the season by a longshot. It seemed that he had a great feel for his arsenal and pounded the strike zone. He had his struggles in his 1st 2 starts, where did you see things click for him tonight?
Schlact: "Peterson looked like the 2024 guy right there and the adjustment was mental. Really proud of him and it was nice to see him work on the things he's been practicing throughout his weeks leading up to the start."
Q: Reece Fields also had a solid outing in your bullpen tonight striking out 6 in 3 innings of work. He was in your rotation last season while with the club, what went into the decision to move him to this role? What do you think he has improved upon from last season?
Schlact: " I think we saw a spot for Reece to slide into a long relief role after he thrived in camp doing it. Not much went into it other than seeing where we could get him innings to get work in and help the team win."
Q: This ballpark gave you issues last season, does it give you confidence to get a win like this right away to begin this stretch? How do you keep the momentum going?
Schlact: "Eliminating the mindset of past struggles at a certain ballpark is essential to winning baseball games. I think the biggest thing is eliminating distractions that we can't control and focusing on what we can."
Safford's Stars From Tuesday
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The Missoula Offense
How can you pick just one guy here? 7 players in the lineup finished the game with 2 hits or more. Missoula would put 25 runs on the board on 24 hits. As Schlact alluded to, it wasn't just the long ball that made Missoula successful. Sure a hard hit ball can result in a home run. But hitting the baseball hard is what should be the biggest point of emphasis. Staying focused on that approach regardless of if the ball left the ballpark or not is a huge strength to have as an offense. This to me looked like the PaddleHeads offense at its best. What is probably even more scary is that I believe this effort is something that can be replicated.
Schalct mentioned this as well, this performance was reminiscent of PaddleHeads performances of yesteryear with hits coming up and down the lineup. So much has been talked about this culture of the PaddleHeads and how trends are passed from one season to the next. Clearly the offense found its top gear tonight with that thought in mind. Now what will they do for an encore?
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Mike Peterson
Peterson entered tonight's outing with an ERA north of 10 in 2 starts. The 2024 Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year did not make it to the 5th in either of the outings. Clearly the Western Oregon product was searching for it through his 1st 2 outings. The way the 1st inning went, it looked like he would have to keep looking. But then the switch went off for him. Peterson would retire 9 batters in a row after the 1st inning rolling though the Great Falls lineup. His pitch location was fantastic, painting the corners. When he wasn't striking batters out, he was inducing ground balls to get out of trouble. That is what the PaddleHeads were hoping to see.
The Pullman native is the ultimate pro. He works extremely hard at his craft and is a great individual in the clubhouse. To see his work pay off tonight is also a rewarding thing to watch. You feel happy for the person and the player.
What a turn this 23-year old has seemingly taken from last season after being released by the PaddleHeads during the 2024 season. I was very curious to see how he looked coming into spring camp. Surely he was not guaranteed a roster spot when he was one of 40 players brought in during the May camp. But he proved himself to the coaches, and front office with his confidence. His arsenal can be tough to handle for any hitter with a fastball topping out in the mid 90s to go along with good secondary pitches. Not only have the results on the mound looked different, but his role has changed as well.
Michael Schlact loves versatility. A position player that can play different positions on the field is a skill set he likes. On that topic, a pitcher that can check multiple boxes is also something he typically likes to have as well. Fields appeared as a starter a season ago, and did so through college. Now he is filling a long reliever role. Having a pitcher that could fill in with a spot start and eat innings in long relief like he did tonight is such a valuable asset to have.