Missoula Public Schools currently funds 14 school sports which have abundant participation. But at the last public comment, students and parents alike argued about the addition of another in baseball. 

Missoula has a large Little League community, with Mount Sentinel, Mt. Jumbo, North Bitterroot, and Frenchtown  all competing in Missoula County. The Little League is fully run by volunteers from the community, with registration fees being less than $200 per year per player. 

Despite having a strong alliance of baseball supporters and the sport being approved by MCPS in spring 2022, high school baseball has remained dormant. 

The Parents for Missoula High School Baseball presented their comments at the last Board of Trustees meeting, arguing for the benefits that baseball brings to their children and the community. Academic success, including higher GPA, test scores, and lower dropout rates were all accounted for by student athletes. 

Parents reminded the board of the financial hardship that travel bears on students, especially travel baseball. Travel baseball is especially important for Montana students, as the only way to be considered for scholarships at collegiate level baseball is to be seen in a competitive environment. With average costs for travel ball ranging from $1,000 up to $2,500 plus, many students’ ambition for higher level baseball is unattainable purely because of costs. 

The group of parents want to alleviate this expense as soon as possible, proposing a launch plan for 2024. The aim for high school baseball is to start by March 3, 2024, with the parents promising to pay for the ‘start up’ of the entire first 2024 season. 

While the Board of Trustees has yet to respond in full to the group, parents and students are excited about the possibility of bringing high school baseball to Missoula.