Dinesen, Coleman shine in second season with Riders

It was last August when Mason Dinesen walked from the short walk to the temporary clubhouse of the fledgling Glacier Range Riders, having been acquired from the venerable BIllings Mustangs.

It’s been quite the move, even if it covered maybe 30 feet.

“I had a great opportunity in Billings (in 2022), with a great manager, Jim Riggleman,” Dinesen said last week, with the Range Riders in the midst of what is now a 9-game winning streak. “I spent about half the season with them.

“We were playing here one day and Stu Pedersen was like, ‘We need a shortstop and would you want to come here next year?’ And I was like, ‘Sure.’ “

At the time Pedersen was the hitting coach for the Range Riders, the Mustangs were at Glacier Bank Park and the Range Riders’ Gabe Howell was on the shelf with a torn labrum.

“Then Riggleman was like, ‘They want you now,’ and I got traded, clubhouse to clubhouse,” Dinesen continued. “I walked from one clubhouse to the other rand and was like, ‘Hi, I’m your new infielder.’ “

Then the 6-foot-4 infielder took in his new digs, which looked a lot like his old digs — the Range Riders and visiting teams had temporary clubhouses set in mobile homes last season — and hit .310 in 31 games with Glacier.

This season he’s sitting at .290, with new-found power — he hit his sixth home run Saturday, compared to two all of last season — and a new position: Second base.

Pedersen is now the manager. Howell is back at short, playing well and starting things at the leadoff position. And Dinesen is making it hard to keep him out of the lineup with flashy defense and hits in nine of his last 10 games, with a .389 average in that span.

“He’s a very athletic kid,” Pedersen said. “He’s probably one of the most athletic kids in the whole league. And if the hitting starts coming around, he’s got a chance to be real good. His defense and baserunning are unmatched.”

The hitting seems to be coming; as the second half of the Pioneer League begins he’s on a dix-game tear. The Range Riders welcome in Dinesen’s former team for three more games on Tuesday.

“It was a weird transition for my first year in professional ball, but it was cool,” Dinesen said. “They (the Range Riders) welcomed me with open arms, the fans are sick and I like Stu.”

Power of the pen

The earned-run average for the Range Riders’ starting pitchers is, as you might expect, lower than it is for their bullpen: 4.97 to 5.35.

But in the last nine games, all wins, Glacier’s relief corps has put up a 2.18 ERA. Noah Barros, moved to the pen after six starts, has helped. But the trio that shares nine saves — Justin Coleman, Roy Robles and John Natoli — have been stellar as well.

Especially Coleman, a 27-year-old who didn’t play college ball until he was 23 at NAIA Bluefield. After struggling to an 0-3 mark and 6.23 ERA with the Range Riders last season, he’s 3-0, 3.04 with four saves so far in 2023.

“For what he throws, it's mind boggling,” Pedersen said. “He throws 87, 89, 90 miles per hour, yet he throws it by these hitters like he’s throwing 100. He’s got good deception,and they’re not picking the ball up. He’s blowing it by hitters and other guys that throw harder, aren’t.”

Coleman felt something had to change after last season.

“I went out to this training facility called 108 Performance and they basically broke me down mechanically, and we started from ground zero,” he said. “I spent the whole offseason getting my arm into a healthy position. Last year I was actually hurt — I had a lot of pain in my shoulder and it was a mechanical problem.

“Ever since then I’ve felt confident on the mound, because of that. No pain.”

A different arm slot has delivered 37 strikeouts in 23 2-3 innings for the right hander.

“I dropped my arm a little bit,” Coleman said. “I’m sure if you looked at the video from last year to this year it’s only minor, but to me it’s been a world of difference.”

Robles has two saves, and it's worth noting he had a chance at one on opening day, only for the Great Falls Voyagers to rally for the win.

“Definitely was a terrible feeling,” said Robles, who has a 4.50 ERA since that game and allowed one hit over his last five appearances. “After that it was kind of just getting back to what I was doing before, keeping up the work I was putting in, and believing in myself.”

Coleman noted the bullpen’s success is partly due to it being atypically tight-knit.

“I think a lot has to do with our teammates to be honest,” he said. “We’re so close, and we hold each other accountable. This is really one of the first teams where I’ve been a part of that, having that support system.

“I feel like having this team, this family, has been a part of the success of our bullpen, our pitching staff and our hitters. I’ve never been on a team that’s been this close.”

“This game is full of ups and downs,” Robles said. “Having a good group of guys like we do here, helps with that.”

Cliff Notes

Nick Zegna’s 3.38 ERA through six starts with the Range Riders (31-15) would rank second in the Pioneer League if he had enough innings. He has 32; roughly a pitcher’s innings have to match the number of team games. … Zach Penrod (46 2-3 innings) of Missoula leads the league at 3.09 … Range Riders’ play-by-play man Scot Gladstone notes Howell is hitting a team-best .360 with runners in scoring position. As team Glacier is hitting .293 with RISP.