Pro baseball is back, Boise. Hawks’ opener here will be homecoming for starting pitcher
The Boise Hawks’ home opener will be a homecoming that was years in the making for starting pitcher Matt Dallas.
When Dallas takes the mound against the Grand Junction Rockies at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, it will be the first time his family has seen him play in Boise as a professional.
“I think my mom is more excited than I am,” said Dallas, who expects to have at least eight family members in attendance. “It means the world to me to be able to come back to where I grew up and play in front of the people who supported me the most.”
Dallas grew up in Boise and went to Capital High, but his baseball career was interrupted when he was cut from the varsity team as a senior.
He didn’t give up on his dream, though, and went to junior college before catching on at Minnesota-Crookston in 2015, where he became a full-time pitcher for the first time in his career.
After college, he bounced around independent leagues before the Hawks acquired him this spring via a trade with the New Jersey Jackals, a Frontier League squad.
He has met with the coach who cut him from his high school team since returning to Boise, but Dallas said it’s all water under the bridge.
“There’s nothing anyone can do about it now,” Dallas said. “It just motivated me more. Everything comes down to hard work and not giving up on your dreams.”
The Hawks’ season was canceled last June because of COVID-19, and that’s not all that has changed. They were members of the Northwest League and had a Major League Baseball affiliation with the Colorado Rockies, but then MLB went through contraction in its minor leagues. That has left Boise in the independent Pioneer League with seven other teams.
It has been more than 600 days since the Hawks took the field in front of home fans, but that will end with Wednesday’s home opener, which kicks off nine straight games games at Memorial Stadium. The Hawks wrap up their series with the Rockies on Monday. After a day off, they welcome the Missoula Paddleheads for three games in Boise.
The Hawks, who lost their first two games this season, have a revamped roster that is led by a familiar manager. Here’s a look at what to expect this season.
A full house
The Hawks plan to welcome a capacity crowd on Wednesday, according to General Manager Mike Van Hise, and the weather forecast is promising: mostly sunny, 70 degrees.
Masks will not be required to attend but they are recommended, and a section of seats down the right-field line has been set aside for fans who want to socially distance.
Full concessions will be available.
Familiar faces
Fans will recognize plenty of names on the Hawks’ roster, including former Boise State manager Gary Van Tol back leading the team. He was hired to resurrect the Broncos’ program, but the university cut the program last year. Van Tol’s contract with the Broncos expired on May 1.
Van Tol also brought his assistant coaches with him from Boise State. Travis Buck is the Hawks’ hitting coach and Michiel van Kampen the pitching coach.
“It’s a blessing to keep some of the original band members together,” Van Tol said. “Michiel and Travis were instrumental in helping me build Boise State’s program. Their love of the game, passion to teach and ability to help players reach their full potential will translate well with the pro game.”
Van Tol said it helps that his assistants have played on big stages. Before his coaching career began, Buck spent six seasons playing with the Oakland A’s, Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros. He played his college ball at Arizona State.
Van Kampen was a member of the Netherlands National Team from 1999 to 2010 and was part of six European Cups, four World Cups, three Intercontinental Cups, two World Baseball Classics and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
The Hawks also signed six former Boise State players this spring: catcher Cory Meyer, catcher/outfielder Myles Harris, and pitchers Jay Baggs, Matt Gabbert, Mitch Lines and John Boushelle.
About 75% of the players on the Hawks’ roster were affiliated with MLB clubs at some point in their careers, Van Tol said, including a pitcher from Nampa. Zach Penrod played at Northwest Nazarene University and went on to play in the West Coast League. He was signed by the Texas Rangers before injuring his arm in his first spring training start.
Penrod signed with the Hawks not long after he was released by the Rangers, and he took the mound Monday in the second game of a doubleheader in Ogden, Utah, giving up just two runs and striking out 13 batters in a 2-1 loss.
The Pioneer League
The Hawks lost their affiliation in December after MLB decided to reduce its number of minor league clubs by 25%, so they decided to join the Pioneer League, which was rebranded this year as a “partner league” with the majors.
As an affiliated team, the Hawks’ roster was made up of players drafted or signed by their parent team, which was most recently the Rockies and before that the Chicago Cubs.
Teams in the Pioneer League are independent in that they can build their own rosters and hire their own coaches, but MLB has provided some funds for operating expenses and installed scouting technology in stadiums.
Idaho is home to two Pioneer League teams: the Hawks and the Idaho Falls Chukars. The other teams in the league hail from Ogden, Utah; Billings, Missoula and Great Falls in Montana; and Grand Junction and Colorado Springs in Colorado.
The Hawks will play a 96-game schedule after playing 76 in a season as a member of the Northwest League.
A new bat dog?
Yes, there will be a new bat dog at Boise Hawks games this year.
Kohl, who retrieved bats for the Hawks and kicking tees for the Boise State football team the past five years, will officially retire on opening night. His son will take over the duties, and the Hawks asked fans to help come up with a name for the new retriever of wood. The winner will be unveiled on Wednesday.
Fans heading to Memorial Stadium this summer can expect plenty of promotions, too.
WWE Hall of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase will be at the stadium on June 25, and Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act will make its Memorial Stadium debut on Aug. 13.
There’s also Feed Your Face Mondays, which features all-you-can-eat menu items in the concession stands until the end of the fourth inning. Wednesday is Baseball Bingo night, and Thirsty Thursdays are back with $2 draft beers and Pepsi products. Fireworks nights are June 4, June 12, June 26, July 3-4, July 16, July 30-31, Sept. 3 and Sept. 5.
For the full promotional schedule, check out boisehawks.com.
New rules
The Pioneer League announced a host of new rules for the 2021 season, the most exciting of which for fans is a home-run derby to decide games that are tied after nine innings, instead of going to extra frames.
Each team will select a hitter who will face five pitches, and the game will be decided by the most home runs hit. If the game is still tied after five pitches, two more hitters will be selected to go head-to-head.
New rules also allow a designated hitter or pinch runner to sub in for a player who can then return to his defensive position instead of having to exit the game.
Finally, a revised check-swing rule allows batters to appeal to a base umpire. Previously, only the pitcher or catcher could ask for an appeal.
The Steelheads are set to return this year, too
After more than a year off because of COVID-19, the Idaho Steelheads will return to the ice in October.
The ECHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars will open the season at Idaho Central Arena on Oct. 22 against the Utah Grizzlies.
For a complete look at the Steelheads’ home schedule, check out idahosteelheads.com.
This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
