Pioneer League Team Vying for Second Consecutive Bid at Playoffs
Trevor Phipps
After waiting for nearly a year, the much-anticipated return of the Rocky Mountain Vibes at the UCHealth Field generated impressive crowds in their home opener, a game that kicked off a six-game series.
Area baseball fans packed the stands on May 28 to see what the team has to offer on the diamond this year.
The energy of the Vibes was evident immediately, as they racked up several runs in the nearly hour-long first inning, despite being threatened by light rain drops. Throughout their home opener, the Vibes put on quite a hitting performance. But as has been the case for several years, they struggled when it came to pitching. As a result, the team lost this high scoring, home debut 21-15.
During the May 28 showdown that really kicked off their 2024 season, the Vibes welcomed the brand-new Oakland Ballers to a six-game home series. The first 1,000 people entering the gates received a free schedule magnet and a number of other giveaways were offered.
Right off the bat, it was obvious that the Vibes’ first home match of 2024 would become a slug fest. The Ballers started the hitting frenzy by coming out and scoring two runs to start the first inning.
The Vibes then quickly showed they meant business by answering the Ballers’ two runs with a huge rally, picking up nine runs in the first. However, the skills of the Vibes’ batters would slowly fade away as the team only scored six more runs for the rest of the game.
Both teams had issues with pitchers throughout the game. The Vibes and Ballers were already onto their third pitchers by the fourth inning.
The Ballers set the tune for the rest of the match as they seemed to just keep scoring. The new team came into the game with a similar record as the Vibes, but they were able to swing the momentum of the series during the first match.
However, even though the game didn’t go how Vibes’ fans had wanted, there was still plenty for the crowd to cheer about. For example, the fans went crazy for their new favorite star hitter, Josh Day, when he smacked a 400-yard-plus homerun right over the center field fence in the fourth inning to shrink the Ballers’ lead to a single run.
The Vibes also made an addition to the team this season that thrilled fans, and put a smile on their faces, even though the gesture hasn’t been well received by umpires. For the 2024 season, the Vibes now have an official bat dog, a golden retriever that runs out onto the field to return stray bats to the dugout. There were a few times though, that the umps definitely didn’t think a canine running around the baseball field was as cute as the fans did.
Despite Adverse Weather, Vibes Win First Series On the Road
The Vibes actually kicked off their season, when they traveled to California’s San Francisco Bay Area to battle the Yolo High Wheelers over Memorial Day Weekend. The Vibes actually started their season on May 21, but their first game ended after five innings due to lightning.
In the end, the High Wheelers and the Vibes only had two days in which the weather was in their favor. They played a total of three games during that period. In the first game, the Vibes were up 4-3 when the game was cancelled. But when they finished the game the next day, they ended up losing 10-7.
Baseball action was then halted another day of the series due to weather when the two teams faced off for a double header. The Vibes, though, shined during their two matches over Memorial Day weekend and won the first game 10-7 and the second one 7-5.
Before their loss in their May 28 home opener, the Vibes started the 2024 season with a 2-1 record on the road. The team’s staff and fans have high hopes that the Vibes can make it to the playoffs this year for the second consecutive year.
The Vibes already have the Pioneer League’s best hitter. second baseman Josh Day. Day hails from Mississippi and joined the Vibes during the offseason after playing with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He currently sports the number one spot in the league with a .611 batting average, capped by seven runs, 11 hits and five RBIs.
The Vibes left fielder, Mason Sykes, is currently in 21st place in the Pioneer League with a .429 batting average, with five runs, three RBIs, and one homerun. Another player to watch this season is Dane Tofteland who also picked up a homerun on the road and has three RBIs and five runs to start the season.
This Tuesday, the Vibes start another series at home when they challenge the 4-3 Billings Mustangs. The team plays at home Tuesday through Sunday this week before hitting the road for a re-match series against the Oakland Ballers.
