Game Date: Jun 8th, 2067
Williston Pioneers
Team: Williston Pioneers [ID #112] 
Location: Williston, ND (Plains)
League: II.1 - West
Owner:
crash_davis
[since June 04th 2021 | last seen December 20th 2024]
Manager: Gordon DiMaggio
Ballpark: Williston Field
Rank: #48 - Rating: 178.60
Fan Mood: 103.96
Prestige: 58
Color: Brown & Yellow
Team Notes:
• Jan 13 2067: Vicente Rodriguez was released.• Jan 13 2067: Gabriel Simon was selected to the national team of Switzerland.
• Jan 13 2067: Thomas O'Rourke was selected to the national team of Ireland.
• Jan 13 2067: Iván Lopez was selected to the national team of Dominican Republic.
• Jan 13 2067: Giovanni de Oliveira was selected to the national team of Brazil.
• Nov 02 2066: Curt Donovan was released.
• Oct 21 2066: Jesús Villaseñor was inducted into the team Hall of Fame.
• Oct 21 2066: Jesús Villaseñor was released.
• Aug 07 2066: Lyle Lombardi was released.
• Jan 13 2066: Tad Poston was released.
League Record:
Wins: 26 Losses: 24 Pct: .520 Last10: 4-6 Streak: W2Ave: 3.9 - 4.0 RS: 197 RA: 199 DIFF: -2 Power Index: 106.9
Cup:
Group 103 [0 | Eliminated]Press Releases:
Jul 16 2064: Lombardi Earns All-Star Start Nod after 15-1 First Half - by crash_davis on May 15th, 2024The wily left-handed veteran Lombardi was dominant during the first half of the season putting together an astonishing 15-1 record while ranking among the top 10 in league ERA, WHIP, IP, CG and shutouts. Joining him from the Pioneers was tough-luck SP Pino who went only 6-7 due to lack of offensive support on his starts and closer phenom Rodriguez with 31 saves and a sub 1.00 ERA. Veteran OF Villasenor was selected as an alternate and made his eighth All-Star game.
Jul 25 2062: Lombardi Hurls No-No - by crash_davis on December 16th, 2023
Lyle "Lefty" Lombardi will go down in the Williston history as the first pitcher to pitch a no-hitter for the franchise. In a gem of a performance, Lombardi only walked two batters in a 3-0 win against Cleveland. The game appeared to be headed for extras until Thompson and Romero provided back-to-back, two-out home runs to take the pressure off in the top of the ninth. https://brokenbat.org/game/5101813
Oct 30 2061: Williston Wins in 5! - by crash_davis on October 25th, 2023
The Pioneers were nearly unbeatable all season compiling a 105-55 regular season record and kept getting stronger taking the World Series in commanding fashion, 4-1.
The pitching was phenomenal in the Series beyond Cy Young candidate Eric Beck who started the first and last game. The Pioneers had a quality start in each of the five games.
Outside of game four, the hitting was just as effective highlighted by a 12-run outburst in one inning in game 2...a two-out rally for the record books.
Jul 16 2061: Williston, West Route East in All Star Game - by crash_davis on September 27th, 2023
19-1! The West All Stars started earlier and didn't let up piling it on the East All Stars in the one-sided affair.
The West pitching staff featured five Pioneers, and the trio of Pino, Beck and Lombardi baffled the best of the East to the tune of 9 innings, 5 hits and one earned run. Relievers Avila and Rosa were also available but not needed. As for the Pioneer bats, they did their share of damage with the quartet of Romero, Villasenor, Rivera and James going 7 for 17 with three walks (Avg .418, OBP .500) and scoring 10 runs with 6 RBIs and a SB on top of it.
The Pioneers were well represented with 9 All Stars, which should come as no surprise with Williston a solid 10 games in first place in the west with a dominating 57-23 record. "It's a great start, but no one will remember the first half if we don't see it through during the second half and win the pennant," Manager Gordon DiMaggio said. "We've had a number of players break out during the first half so it will be on them to continue producing. With La Grande winning at a pretty steady clip, they will be keeping the pressure on us."
Oct 30 2057: Pioneers Slam way to second consecutive World Series Title - by crash_davis on December 21st, 2022
The Williston Pioneers broke out the big sticks in their 4-1 World Series win over the Hampton Isotopes connecting on seven home runs including three grand slams.
In the recent past, it was the pitching that highlighted the Pioneers' championship teams and again, the pitching staff played a big role in getting the team another division title. But this time the offense picked up the slack in a big way, and it all started in Game 1. The staff ace Johnnie "Bagels" Beasley got roughed up early against the Isotopes surrendering 2-run first and second innings creating a 4-0 hole. Enter breakout star candidate Albert DeJesus who responded with the first grand slam of the series to tie it back up. DeJesus would go on to hit a triple and two doubles going 4/5 with 7 RBIs in the game. Hampton took the lead back, but then the Pioneers really came alive after DeJesus tied the game again with a double and Rudy Romero connected on the second grand slam of the game for a 14-7 win.
The Pioneers got a bit more help from the pitching staff in Game 2 as Juan Manuel Saenez gave six solid innings of three-run baseball. The offense this time came from Jesus Villasenor with a 3/4 day and two runs scored and "Big" Dirk Cody who also went 3/4 with two RBIs and a home run pushing the lead to 5-1 before the Isotopes closed the gap to 5-3.
The Isotopes stopped the skid by getting after Lefty Lombardi in Game 3, chasing him after 2 1/3 ineffective innings jumping ahead 6-0. Behind the 3-run HR by Ernesto Ibarra, the Pioneers narrowed the gap to 6-4 and stayed within striking distance until Hilário Viciedo hit a 3-run HR in the 8th to cement the 9-5 win.
Game 4 was an anomaly for the series, the rare pitcher's duel. Villasenor led the bottom of the first with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and worked his way home on consecutive ground outs for a 1-0 lead. After that, both starting pitchers got down to business. But Sonny Perry was masterful, continuing off last year's impressive World Series' performance, throwing 8 innings of one-hit baseball, walking three and striking out five and the Pioneers won the pivotal game 1-0 to go up 3-1 in the series.
Game 5 saw the return of the offensive onslaught as the Pioneers looked to end this in their home stadium. The Pioneers jumped first with two runs in the first inning, but ended on a double play when Ernesto Toledo was caught at home tagging up. A few innings later, when the Isotopes tagged Beasley for four runs in the third, that failed sacrifice fly loomed large. Then entering the sixth inning down 4-3, Pedro Aguilar connected for a grand slam, the third of the Series, to put the Pioneers ahead for good at 7-3. But they didn't take the foot off the pedal as Ryan Buckley added a 3-run home run in the seventh and Toledo hit a solo shot in the eighth for an 11-5 clinching win.
Toledo had a strong Series going 7 for 19 with 3 RBIs and runs. But it was that last at bat that could be a fitting end to the future Hall of Famer, hitting a home run in possibly his final at bat in the playoffs. Barring retirement, the team figures to bring him back to see how much gas is left in the tank, but he will be 35 next season and already saw a bit of drop in his power numbers, though still was among the team leaders offensively with a .284/.379/.507 slash and 27 HRs, 89 RBIs and 93 runs.