Returnees & Promising Newcomers Set to Make Impact in 2022
Spring Training Roster Highlighted by Returnees & New Pitching Prospects
Missoula, MT. – The Missoula PaddleHeads Professional Baseball Club is less than 2 months away from embarking on the journey that will be the 2022 season that is scheduled to begin on May 25 in the Garden City opposite the rival Billings Mustangs. Before this takes place, the players will surely be hard at work in preparation for a Pioneer League title defense. The roster will feature some new faces, but there will also be some key contributors from last season that will be making their return to Western Montana. This unique combination will look to provide this team the spark it needs to once again become one of the Pioneer League's strongest teams.
The PaddleHeads did not show many chinks in the armor a season ago on their road to a title. Missoula offense ranked at or near the top in nearly every major category while the pitching staff would also turn in a solid season. This led to Missoula having the highest winning percentage (.673) of any franchise in all of professional baseball last season. Along with some exciting newcomers, the PaddleHeads will also welcome back many of the players that were a large part of the team's success.
The PaddleHeads were fortunate enough to have players with a balanced skill set in many different areas. This will once again be the case in 2022 as Missoula welcomes back some core players from a season ago.
In the infield, the PaddleHeads welcome back a pair of Pioneer League All-Stars from last season in McClain O'Conner and Cameron Thompson. Both players kicked off their professional careers in 2021 in Missoula and will look to build upon that in 2022.
O'Conner joined the PaddleHeads in the month of June in 2021 fresh off a collegiate career at UC Santa Barbara. The Nevada native would go on to become an every-day player in his rookie season finishing with a .318 average in 63 games played. O'Connor would also provide a spark with his power at the plate accumulating 15 home runs, and 18 doubles during the regular season. The former Gaucho also proved to be a strong defensive asset appearing regularly at second base, and shortstop committing only 6 errors through the season.
After concluding the regular season at Kansas State University, Thompson would take the Pioneer League by storm becoming one of the league's most consistent offensive weapons. The Texas native would finish the season with a .351 batting average to go along with 13 long balls, and 63 driven-in. Additionally, Thompson also finished in the top 5 in the league in doubles (27) during the regular season trailing fellow returnee Nick Gatewood (33) who was first in the league in that category.
Highlighting Returnees set to patrol the outfield is Brandon Riley who will enter his second season in Missoula & fifth overall as a professional. The former Tarheel had a very strong season as the everyday centerfielder for the PaddleHeads finishing with a rock solid .316 batting average in 90 games played. Riley often excelled using a patient approach at the plate finishing with a team best 54 walks during the regular season. The North Carolina native also was extremely consistent defensively finishing with 0 errors in the regular season.
One of the most dominant pitchers in the Pioneer League Domingo Pena is set to return to the hill for Missoula in 2022 looking to continue his dominance in his seventh year as a professional. The former Royals farmhand had a season to remember in 2021 for the PaddleHeads finishing first in the league in wins (10), and strikeouts (121). The native of the Dominican Republic also turned in one of his best outings in the Pioneer League Championship Series in Game 2 striking out 9 over 6 innings of work against the Hawks.
Mason Schwellenbach will return to the hill in the 2022 season looking to enjoy the same type of success he did in his rookie season in Missoula. The Michigan native was 2-0 in his last 5 starts finishing with a 2.10 ERA in that stretch. Schwellenbach also etched his name in Pioneer League history in the postseason earning the win on the mound in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the Pioneer League Championship Series against Boise. Schwellenbach would pitch a season-high 7 innings in the game on September 16 allowing only 1 run while striking out 8.
Returnees are not the only exciting pieces to the puzzle coming into the fold for the 2022 season as the PaddleHeads prepare to defend their league title. Highlighting this list of exciting talent are pitchers Jason Munsch, and John LaRossa. Both players will be looking for a fresh start in Missoula after appearing in the Brewers organization a season ago.
Munsch began his professional career last season appearing at the Class A level with the Carolina Mudcats. The California native made 5 appearances (1 start) striking out 13 batters over 12 ⅔ innings. Munsch also enjoyed a very strong collegiate career at Concordia-Nebraska that spanned from 2017-2020. Munsch would accumulate a 17-9 record in 33 career starts to go along with a 2.78 ERA. The southpaw also accumulated an impressive 281 strikeouts over the course of his collegiate career in only 184 innings.
LaRossa will enter his fifth season as a professional in 2022 making his first appearance in the Pioneer League. The former Harford Hawk appeared with the Wisconsin TimberRattlers of the Midwest League last season appearing in 25 games. The New York native would strike out 41 in 34 ⅓ innings pitched. LaRossa has also appeared with the Rockland Boulders, Vallejo Admirals, and Florence Freedom in his professional career.
The PaddleHeads open the regular season at home on May 25 opposite the rival Mustangs at Allegiance Field at Ogren Park. To stay up to date on all the latest from the PaddleHeads front office as Spring Training approaches, visit gopaddleheads.com.
