Voyagers Look To Build Momentum As First Half Wraps Up
The Voyagers enter the final week of the season’s first half looking to turn things around and build momentum heading into the second half. It looked like the Voyagers had hit their stride in the first couple of weeks of June. They won 8 out of 13 games from June 5 through 19, but things have gone south since then. After beginning a season-long 9-game road trip with a 10-3 win over the then-first-place Billings Mustangs on June 19, the Voyagers have lost 10 of their last 14 games and 5 consecutive series. They enter the final week of the first half a season-high 10 games under .500 at 16-26.
Sitting 15.5 games behind second-place Billings with just 6 games left in the half, clinching a playoff spot in the first half is no longer an option. But with one of the league’s most dangerous offenses and reinforcements arriving on the mound, there is optimism for a second-half playoff push despite the recent struggles. The second half of the season doesn’t officially start until next Tuesday, but getting the train back on the tracks before then is crucial, and that starts Tuesday night in Idaho Falls.
The Voyagers wrap up the final week of the first half with a pair of three-game series against the 11th- and 12th-placeteams in the Pioneer League. The week starts with a three-game series against the 11th-place Idaho Falls Chukars at Melaleuca Field in Idaho Falls. After falling one win short of a league championship in 2025, the bottom has fallen out for the Chukars in 2026. They enter play 13-29 and have lost 4 of their last 5. The Chukars chuckers have really struggled this season, as they’ve posted a league-worst 11.68 ERA through the first 7 weeks of the season. Voyagers offense has had its way with them, averaging almost 13 runs per game against them so far this season. This is the second of three trips the Voyagers will make to Idaho Falls this year. They visited the Chukars two weeks ago, and despite scoring 43 runs in the three-game set, the Voyagers walked away with just one win in the series. Great Falls will need to be much sharper on the mound this time around, as it allowed 48 runs and walked 31 hitters in 25.1 innings of work in the three games. All three games in Idaho Falls are scheduled to start at 7:05.
The Voyagers will return to Great Falls to wrap up the first half with a three-game weekend series against the Red Pocket Mobiles, the Pioneer League’s new traveling team. The Red Pocket Mobiles sit in the cellar of the Pioneer League standings with a record of 9-33. The Red Pocket Mobiles have been showing signs of life recently, but unfortunately for them it hasn’t translated into wins. They’ve lost 12 of their last 16 games, and 8 of the 12 losses have been by 3 runs or fewer, including 5 one-run losses. The Red Pocket Mobiles have been the lowest-scoring team in the league this season but have shown improvement on the mound lately, climbing from 11th in team ERA to eighth over the last several weeks. First pitch is set for 6:30 on Friday and Saturday, and the series wraps up on Sunday at 11:30.
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
Games will be streamed online on HTN and broadcast live on Fox Sports Radio in Great Falls (1400 AM and 98.3 FM).
TUESDAY: @Idaho Falls — 7:05
WEDNESDAY: @Idaho Falls — 7:05
THURSDAY: @Idaho Falls — 7:05
FRIDAY: vs. Red Pocket Mobiles — 6:30
SATURDAY: vs. Red Pocket Mobiles — 6:30
SUNDAY: vs. Red Pocket Mobiles — 11:30