We have a name and home for the newest team in the Pioneer League, as the Glacier Range Riders will debut at a new ballpark in the Flathead Valley and Kalispell (MT) for the 2022 season.
The Range Rider branding was Inspired by early 20th-century outdoorsmen patrolling the 1.3 million acres that is now Glacier National Park. These wilderness defenders protected and preserved the area from poachers, wildfires, and timber thieves during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. Their rough-and-tumble role and characteristic toughness influenced the creation of the Range Rider mascot, a yet unnamed mountain goat. Created by branding specialist Brandiose, the team’s logo complements the park’s history, wildlife, and the survival instinct of its early overseers.
Design and development of the ballpark that will house the Glacier Range Riders is currently underway. In addition to approximately 2,500 seats, the new ballpark and grounds will feature a restaurant, themed kids’ playground, merchandise shop, concessions, family-friendly restrooms, and casual viewing spaces. LED lighting, 100% synthetic surface, and one of the largest video walls in Montana. Although the ballpark will be operational for this season’s games, with the home season beginning June 14, construction is expected to continue through 2022.
Located atop a knoll alongside Highway 93, the amphitheater-style ballpark captures 360-degree views of the scenic Flathead Valley. The engineered design and construction of the concrete and steel seating bowl is being prefabricated off-site both locally and afar before shipping to Kalispell for assembly this spring. Architects at A&E Design and Morrison-Maierle engineers, alongside the construction crew at Swank Enterprises, are putting forth extraordinary efforts to design and construct the new state-of-the-art stadium.
Ridge Run Baseball, LLC., and the Glacier Range Riders are wholly owned and operated by the Kelly family. Marty and Susan Kelly founded the collegiate summer wood bat league, Sunbelt Baseball League, in Atlanta, Georgia, In 2007.