The first nine weeks of Adam Fogel’s rookie season have been unlike anything the Pioneer Baseball League has ever seen.
The Missoula PaddleHeads outfielder leads the PBL in home runs (26), batting average (.423) and runs batted in (86). He’s on pace to shatter the league’s single-season home run record of 32 set two years ago by former Missoula first baseman and league MVP Jayson Newman.
Not bad for a 25-year-old who sat out 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
“Surprised might be a pretty good word,” he told the Missoulian and 406 MT Sports. “I went in with fairly high expectations but nothing quite like this.
“I was talking to my dad about it and he’s my biggest fan, him and my mom, and he was saying the same thing. He’s like, ‘I didn’t really imagine this.’ It’s obviously a blessing, a testament to a lot of hard work and maybe a little bit of luck involved as well.”
People are also reading…
Although there’s still a lot of season remaining, Fogel is a serious threat to win the PBL triple crown. He’s even more of a threat to smash the league’s single-season home run record.
The power surge has been stunning by Fogel’s standards. The most home runs he ever hit in a college season was eight while with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
Coming to grips with his unique longball potential — the product of a maturation process physically and mentally — takes discipline. Every once in a while, Fogel has to check himself.
“I found myself at times over the last week or two getting a little pull happy,” he said with a smile. “I think that’s how the season goes.
“It’s cool my good buddy (Newman), the guy I train with most in the offseason, is the guy that holds that record. Awesome guy, not a bad bone in his body. I talk to him fairly regularly and honestly it would be cool if we were the top two. But we’ll see how it goes.”
Only time will tell whether Fogel can keep up his torrid pace. Certainly pitchers around the league would be wise to pitch around him in tight situations.
One thing he knows for certain is that this is the most fun he’s ever had playing baseball.
“We were talking about it when I was floating the river the other day, this year, it’s a testament to the Paddle Heads,” he said. “It starts from the top. They bring in just the greatest group of people I’ve ever played with. Not just as ballplayers. It’s strange to think you can get so close to guys you’ve known for two or three months.
“That’s a cool part about (manager Michael) Schlact and (team president) Matt Ellis and (assistant coach Tyler) Jeske and all the other front-office guys. They do a really good job of placing a really good core of people together.”
Schlact loves Fogel’s poise and leadership qualities.
“It’s like he has a very slow heartbeat and a very low pulse, because he doesn’t get worked up at all,” Schlact said recently.
“His quiet leadership has stood out. And for a young guy that’s amazing to possess, because that just means it’s inherent. He kind of sets the pace on the field and off it. He’s very cool and chill but also confident.”
Fogel, a 6-foot-5 California native, has at least a handful of home runs that have traveled over 450 feet this season. Just as important as the impressive numbers, at least in his mind, has been the connection he has made with Missoula as one of the fan favorites.
This past Friday and Saturday, perhaps more than ever, it was gratifying to bring smiles to the faces of Paddle Heads fans.
“I just pray all the people of Missoula, the ones that were affected the most by the (Wednesday night) storm, I hope they’re recovering,” Fogel said. “I know it’s going to be a process.
“It was crazy. My host parents talked about how they’ve never seen anything like it. And they’ve lived here pretty much their whole adult lives. People still don’t have power. I’m hoping Paddle Heads baseball can bring a little relief to people. We’re in the entertainment business.”
On Friday night, a sizzling start set the tone for the Paddle Heads in a 24-3 shellacking of the Billings Mustangs at Ogren-Allegiance Park.
Zoo town’s pro baseball team sent 12 batters to the plate in a monster first inning that netted nine runs, all with two outs. Missoula added another six in the third on the way to improving its Pioneer League-best record to 43-13.
The Paddle Heads finished with 26 hits to three for the Mustangs (26-30). Four Missoula players smacked a home run, including Fogel, Roberto Pena, Mike Rosario and Kamron Willman, who came off the injured list earlier in the week.
Fogel finished 5 for 6 with three doubles to go along with his homer and four RBIs. Rosario was 4 for 5 and Pena, Patrick Chung and Alec Sanchez each had three hits.
Missoula starter Nick Parker earned the win, allowing just two earned runs on three hits with six strikeouts in six innings. Billings starter Ethan Ross was pulled with two outs in the first inning. He was tagged for nine runs on seven hits.
On Saturday, the Paddle Heads put in overtime and the payoff was hefty.
They picked up a pair of home wins over the Mustangs. First Missoula rallied for an 11-10 triumph in the continuation of a game suspended Wednesday because of stormy weather, then it pounded Billings in the nightcap, 10-2.
The Paddle Heads trailed 8-6 when the continuation game was picked up in the fourth inning Saturday. They were still on the short end of the score heading into the seventh before putting together a game-defining, three-run rally.
Chung and Pena were the heroes in the Missoula seventh. Chung ripped a two-RBI double and Pena a one-RBI double to give the hosts an 11-9 lead.
The Paddle Heads allowed a run in the eighth but held on behind solid relief pitching by Mark Timmins and Ethan Swanson. Californian Noah McBride was credited with the win after coming on in the sixth and allowing one run on one hit in 1 1/3 innings.
Pena and Chung shared the team-high lead in hits with three apiece. Rosario had a home run.
In the nightcap, Alfredo Villa earned a complete-game win, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts in seven innings. He boosted his record to 6-1.
On Sunday, the Paddle Heads dropped consecutive games for only the third time this season.
The Mustangs roughed up Missoula’s weary pitching staff for 25 hits in a doubleheader sweep, 9-6 and 16-11, at sunny Ogren-Allegiance Park. Zoo town’s pro baseball team saw its Pioneer League-best record fall to 45-15.
Dawson Day started the opener for Missoula after coming off the injured list and he was tagged with five runs on three hits before leaving after 1 1/3 innings. The Paddle Heads found themselves in a 6-1 hole early and never recovered in the seven-inning contest.
Both teams collected 10 hits in the game. Chung and Sanchez each had a home run for the hosts and Sanchez, Rosario, Willman and Collin Runge shared team high honors with two hits apiece.
In the nightcap, the Paddle Heads again fell into a big hole early, trailing 5-0. This time the hosts regrouped and led 6-5 after four frames before Billings ignited for 11 runs in the final three frames.
Missoula manager Michael Schlact went through five pitchers in the seven-inning game. Starter Kenny Jinks allowed five runs on four hits in four innings. Andrew Garcia took the loss after coming on in the sixth, allowing four runs on four hits in just 2/3 of an inning.
Sanchez and Josh Elvir each had a home run for the hosts. Elvir, Pena and Carlos Perez shared team-high honors with two hits apiece.
The Paddle Heads will travel to Great Falls for a three-game series against the Voyagers starting on Tuesday night.
Bill Speltz is Missoulian sports editor. Contact him at bill.speltz@406mtsports.com or on Twitter @billspeltz
