Riding into 2026

Jonah Giblin is a rookie pitcher for the Glacier Range Riders, but he’s not a stranger to Kalispell and Glacier Bank Park.

He had just finished his third season at Arizona State last May when his phone rang. It was Range Riders assistant coach Stu Pedersen with a suggestion: Instead of sitting idle through the draft, come to Kalispell. 

“He said, ‘Come out here and stay fresh through the draft and maybe get some innings, in,” the 6-foot-4, 240-pound right hander said. “I wasn’t sure, so I ended up coming out (in August) just to visit. I never played, but I was for about six days, just to kind of scope out the area and see if it was a place could spend four-and-a-half months. 

“It was. I called two weeks later and ended up signing.” 

Todd Pratt, Glacier’s second-year manager, envisions Giblin as at or near the front of a rebuilt starting rotation when it opens the season tonight, on the road against the Great Falls Voyagers. 

The Range Riders’ 2025 big three of Grant Taylor, Ty Bothwell and Luke Schafer — all of them threw over 100 innings — have moved on, with Bothwell and Schafer signing with Major League teams. 

“Obviously it’s hard to replace the three horses we had in the starting rotation,” Pratt said. “And the bullpen was good.” 

Five arms (and 11 players overall) return from the 2025 team: righties Connor Housley, Jared Engman, Ethan O’Neal and Davis Pratt, and lefty Jacob Hasty. That makes the bullpen a strength — Hasty was especially tough — and Todd Pratt is also confident in starters like lefty Zach Longshore out of the University of New Orleans and Aidan Elfering, who spent 2022-25 at Dubuque and then played last summer with Waterloo of the Northwoods League. 

Davis Pratt saw action in 40 games, all out of the pen, in 2025. He had a similar Glacier beginning: Pedersen saw him at a pro day. 

“I talked to him and Tank (as the players refer to Todd Pratt) and Glendon Rusch, came in here and had a good season,” he said. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to play ball anywhere else.” 

The turnover from 2025 includes Rusch, who was hired by the Los Angeles Angels. The major league veteran helped the Range Riders pitchers adjust to the six-day-a-week grind of pro ball. 

“Glendon did a great job,” Pratt said, but added that new pitching coach Will Lohman has fit in nicely. “(Lohman) is good friends with Glendive and came highly recommended by him. I Imagine we’ll pick up right where we took off.” 

Todd Pratt has worn a lot of hats, from major league catcher to more recently commissioner of the Sunbelt Baseball League. 

“I’ve been here since the beginning as an advisor to the GM,” he noted of the Range Rider franchise. “Ownership every year asked me to do this and I just said, ‘I don’t think I’m ready.’ ” 

But with every visit, the Flathead Valley appealed more. 

“I’d think, ‘If I get another opportunity, I’m taking it,’ ” he said. “And the Kelly’s (owners Marty Kelly and Chris Kelly) offered me an opportunity that I couldn’t refuse. I brought my family up here; we live here. We’re residents of Montana now and we’re very happy.” 

Other things to celebrate: Second baseball Logan Beard is back, and so is center fielder JD McLaughlin after he was ruled ineligible to play under PBL rules in 2025. 

“That was a terrible thing to have happen,” Pratt said of McLaughlin, who played sterling defense during the Range Riders’ surge into the 2024 PBL championship series, and who was hitting .350 through 13 games last year. “They changed the rules, so I was welcome to call him back. He’ll be our starting center fielder.” 

Pratt went on to list Drew Collins, a left-handed hitter, as capable of playing all three outfield spots.  

“Jacob Steele really took advantage of the spring training and when one of our shortstops had a hamstring injury, he stepped in and was amazing,” Pratt added. “We’re looking for him to be very solid.  

“Beard’s back at second. He’s smooth. So, I feel very comfortable there.” 

Beard hit 10 home runs for the 2025 Range Riders; Rusch was his high school baseball coach at one point, so when Beard was done at Southeast Indiana it didn’t take long for Rusch to touch base.  

“When he got here he asked if I wanted to come up,” Beard said. “Kind of a no-brainer.” 

The catcher spot belongs to Donovan Ratfield, who hit .314 as the backup to Angel Mendoza last season.  

“It’s hard to replace Mendoza, but I think Ratfield will have a little more thump, a little more hitting ability,” Pratt said. 

Strong up the middle, a strong pen and consistent starting pitcher are what Pratt is aiming for.  

“One big difference with this team is we’re going to have team speed,” he said. “And hopefully, knock on wood, speed doesn’t go in slumps.” 

The Range Riders went 40-56 in 2025, including a 15-19 record in one-run games. They started 4-0 in such games, then lost 19 of 27. But that was then — the slate is clean for 2026. 

“Hopefully we bring the fans a good club,” Pratt said. “I feel pretty good about it so far.” 

Sports Editor Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 406-758-4463 or fneighbor@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.