Kalispell Lakers American Legion Baseball promotes community involvement, civic responsibility, sportsmanship, team loyalty, and individual accountability. We strive to provide Kalispell with high quality baseball for our community to enjoy. By continuing to reach out to youth from around the valley, we hope to continue our proud tradition of developing young men into not only great baseball players, but into future community leaders and role models.
The Kalispell Lakers are managed by the Kalispell Legion Baseball Association, a non-profit organization ran by board members from the community who love baseball and our program. Every year, our program raises the funds necessary to compete within now four Montana American Legion Baseball Teams (AA, A , Red & Gold). Our players go out into the community and obtain sponsorships from local businesses and sell season passes to friends, family and Laker fans. Funds raised pay for uniforms, equipment, travel expenses, coaches salaries and field maintenance.
Our players are asked to go above and beyond what is typically expected of a high school athlete. In addition to fundraising to cover player fees, they’re asked to prepare the field for the season, do field maintenance during the season, coach at youth camps, and work at fundraising events. That’s on top of playing competitive baseball for the majority of their summer across the northwest.
We are Kalispell’s community baseball team, and we strive represent what’s best about Kalispell and the Flathead Valley.
Kalispell Legion Baseball
Location Kalispell, MT
Founded…………………………………………. 1968
Legion Post………………………………………..137
Nickname……………………………………..Lakers
Colors…………………………………Red and Gold
Conference……..MT/AB AA Legion Baseball
State Championships……………………1 (1978)
Board of Directors
President………………………………Toby Liechti
Vice President……………………..Kim Morisaki
Treasurer……………………………..Jason Brown
Secretary Zach Diede
Member Aimee Root
Member………………………………..Brian Heino
Member……………………………..Ben Corriveau
Member……………………………..Brad Nikunen
Coaching Staff
AA Head Coach……………………Ryan Malmin
AA Assistant Coach…………………..Erik Brink
AA Vol. Assistant Coach…………..Abe Owens
A Head Coach Walker Malmin
A Assistant Coach Taylor Morton
Red Head Coach Casey Corbett
Red Assistant Coach Caden Willis
Red Vol. Assistant Coach……..…Derek Drish
Gold Head Coach………………..… Kevin Ebert
Gold Assistant Coach……………..Ethan Diede
Coach Ryan Malmin has bee the Lakers’ Manager since 2006 (17 Seasons). Approaching 1,000 career wins, Coach Malmin has built a strong reputation for developing players and preparing them for college and beyond, both athletically and mentally. Coach Malmin was named Montana AA Coach of the Year in 2016. Before coming back to the Flathead Valley, he was the head coach of the Glasgow Reds for eight years. He is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., where he was a pitcher for the Cobbers. He is a Whitefish native and played American Legion baseball for the Glacier Twins. He also coached the Twins A team for one season.
The Lakers are so thankful to his wife, Shannon, and their kids Walker and Kaysie, for lending their father to our program and the young baseball players of Kalispell.
American Legion Baseball is a national institution, having thrived through a world war, several national tragedies, and times of great prosperity as well as great despair.
The league still stands behind the traditional values upon which it was founded in 1925. American Legion Baseball has taught hundreds of thousands of young Americans the importance of sportsmanship, good health and active citizenship. The program is also a promoter of equality, making teammates out of young athletes regardless of their income levels or social standings. American Legion Baseball has been, and continues to be, a stepping stone to manhood for millions of young men who have gone on to serve their country or community, raise families or play the sport at the highest level.
Walter H. Griffin, the Mayor of Kalispell from 1896-1902 & 1906-1908, past away in 1924. Griffin Field was donated to the City of Kalispell on February 24, 1926 by Robert & Hulda Griffin along with Theresa Foot. Old Griffin Field was located downtown where Super 1 Foods is currently. Baseball lights were installed on Old Griffin Field in 1970. New Griffin Field at Begg Park opened on July 25, 1987 and has been the home of Laker Baseball ever since!
The first known American Legion Baseball team was fielded in Kalispell in 1947. The Kalispell Legion Baseball Association, as we know it today, was organized in 1968 while Kalispell Lakers were officially established in 1970. In 1987, the Lakers fielded two teams for the first time. The state Legion classifications were called "A" and "B" then, hence the young team was referred to as the Laker "Bees". The classifications were later upgraded to "AA" and "A" so, for consistency, they called the young Lakers "A". Our program added a third Junior level team in 2017, and a fourth Junior level team in 2023. These are Lakers Red & Gold.
2008
• Tyler Reichhoff, All-State Pitcher (AA)
• Joe Pistorese, All-State Pitcher (A)
2009
• Joe Pistorese, All-State Pitcher (AA)
• Pat Hergesheimer, All-Conference Outfielder (AA)
2010
• Joe Pistorese, All-State Pitcher (AA)
2011
• Joe Pistorese, All-State Pitcher (AA)
2012
• Matt McLean, All-State Pitcher (AA)
2013
• Dillon Eaves, All-State Pitcher (AA)
2014
• Justin Wallace, All-State Pitcher (AA)
2016
• Leif Ericksen, All-State Pitcher (AA)
2017
• Sam Elliott, All-State Pitcher (AA)
• Patrick O’Connell, All-State Shortstop (AA)
• Hayden Schlepp, All-Conference Outfielder (AA)
• Taylor Morton, All-Conference Outfielder (A)
2018
• Sam Elliott, All-State Pitcher (AA)
• Drew Scherrer, All-State Pitcher (AA)
• Randy Stultz, All-State Shortstop (AA)
• Taylor Morton, All-Conference Outfielder (AA)
• Payton Davisson, All-Conference First Baseman (A)
2019
• Randy Stultz, All-State Third Baseman (AA)
• Connor Drish, All-Conference Shortstop (AA)
• Ryan Symmes, All-Conference Outfielder (AA)
• Wes Palmer, All-Conference Pitcher (AA)
• Logan Siblerud, All-Conference Pitcher (AA)
• Thomas O’Connell, All-Conference Outfielder (A)
• Danny Kernan, All-Conference Pitcher (A)
2020
• Jack Corriveau, All-State Pitcher (AA)
• Jack Corriveau, All-Conference Third Baseman (AA)
• Joe Schlegel, All-Conference Third Baseman (A)
• Max Holden, All-Conference Pitcher (A)
2021
• Danny Kernan, All-Conference First Baseman (AA)
• Ethan Diede, All-Conference Third Baseman (AA)
• Kostya Hoffman, All-Conference Pitcher (AA)
• Oscar Kallis, All-Conference Pitcher (A)
2022
• Kostya Hoffman, All-Conference Pitcher (AA)
• Adam Nikunen, All-Conference Pitcher (A)
The Lakeshow award is given annually to the graduated player who best represented the values of Kalispell Lakers Baseball during his time as a Laker.
What a Lakeshow Award Winner looks like
• This player always put the team before himself, brought consistent effort and was an inspiration to his teammates.
• This player puts in the work when no one is looking, whether that’s doing field work without being asked, throwing extra soft toss to a teammate, or cleaning up after a fundraiser.
• This is the player that a board member or coach looks at and says, “this kid is why I do what I do.”
• This player went above and beyond, demonstrating an unwavering dedication to the program and demonstrated what being a Laker is through leadership, service and sportsmanship.
• This player displayed personal growth during his time with the Lakers, becoming more prepared for life after baseball.
• This player did not let obstacles (athletic limitations, playing time, home situations) get in the way of them from performing and enjoying the Laker experience. They overachieved.
• This player followed the Laker way, or COMPETE
• Displayed and grew CONFIDENCE
• Was OPEN MINDED to coaching
• Played with passion and purpose and was on a MISSION to achieve greatness
• Carried himself with POISE
• Demanded EXCELLENCE from himself and teammates every pitch
• Strived to put the TEAM FIRST & TEAM LAST, excelled in their team role
• Brought ENERGY everyday and motivated his teammates
2019 BATTER UP BASH
THANK YOU LOGAN HEALTH FOR PROVIDING THE LAKERS AND OUR COMMUNITY AN OUTSTANDING INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY!
Follow your Lakers on
Follow APRIL DAY C/NC OPPONENT H/A GAMES TIME 22 Saturday N/C Great Falls Chargers A Home 2 x 7 1:00 23 Sunday N/C Havre North Stars Home 2 x 7 12:00 29 Saturday N/C Great Falls Chargers A Away 2 x 7 1:00 30 Sunday N/C Havre/Billings Triangular - Havre Away 2 x 7 10:00 MAY DAY C/NC OPPONENT H/A GAMES TIME 6 Saturday N/C Missoula Mavericks A Away 2 x 7 1:00 13 Saturday N/C Missoula Mavericks A Home 2 x 7 5:00 14 Sunday N/C Helena Reps Home 2 x 7 1:00 19-21 Fri. - Sun. N/C Canadian Days Tournament Home TBD 24 Wednesday C Libby Loggers Away 1 x 7 5:00 25 Thursday C Libby Loggers Home 1 x 7 5:00 27 Saturday N/C Pullman Patriots A Home 2 x 7 1:00 28 Sunday N/C OPPONENT Home 2 x 7 12:00 31 Wednesday C Libby Loggers Away 1 x 7 5:00 JUNE DAY C/NC OPPONENT H/A GAMES TIME 1 Thursday C Libby Loggers Home 1 x 7 5:00 4 Sunday C Missoula Mavericks A Home 2 x 7 1:00 7 Wednesday C Cranbrook Bandits Home 2 x 7 3:30 11 Sunday C Bitterroot Bucs Home 2 x 7 1:00 15-18 Thurs. - Sun. N/C Howard Rein Tournament - Bozeman Away TBD 22-25 Thurs. - Sun. N/C Cloninger Classic - Helena Away TBD 28 Wednesday C Mission Valley Mariners Home 2 x 7 5:00 JULY DAY C/NC OPPONENT H/A GAMES TIME 1 Saturday C Bitterroot Red Sox Away 2 x 7 1:00 3 Monday C Cranbrook Bandits Away 2 x 7 1:00 7-9 Fri. - Sun. N/C John R. Harp Tournament Home TBD 14 Friday C Glacier Twins Home 2 x 7 5:00 15 Saturday C Glacier Twins Away 2 x 7 5:00 20-23 Thurs. - Sun. District A Tournament - Polson Away TBD 26-30 Wed. - Sun. State A Tournament - Laurel Away TBD
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