MISSOULA — It's one of the many signs that summer is nearly here in the Garden City. On Tuesday, the Missoula Paddleheads held their annual media day to introduce their roster as they get set for the 2026 Pioneer League baseball season.
This year's Paddleheads team even sports a Montana native in Bozeman product Parker McMan.
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"Growing up we'd always come down here and get a few games here at this field like playing Legion ball and obviously coming and seeing when they were the Osprey at the time, so it's kind of a cool little full-circle moment to take the field as a Paddlehead and see all of these new faces and see what they think of Montana as well," the right-handed pitcher said. "Grateful to be here."
A summertime staple and fan-favorite entertainment vehicle, the Paddleheads practicing on Tuesday marked the beginning of professional baseball returning to Missoula for the next several months.
The Paddleheads open their season next Tuesday, and they'll be on the road for two weeks.
The team will then play their first game at home in front of the Missoula fans on June 2.
"Playing baseball on a daily basis, you try and be grateful for where you are," Paddleheads catcher Nich Klemp said. "Because you're playing a kid's game, and you try not to put too much pressure on yourself and growing up you want to go pro, you want to do all this but just taking it day-by-day and being grateful for where you are and having the teammates you have, and the situation I'm in, I'm super grateful for."
Games for the Paddleheads will run through Sept. 6, with the postseason following that.
While fans enjoy getting out in the sun and experiencing a family-friendly event, on the diamond, the competition is about winning, as the Paddleheads look to win their first Pioneer League title since 2021.
