BILLINGS - The Billings Mustangs open their season in just over a week and took their baseball talent to a field away from Dehler Park.
The first two Mustangs arrived in Billings on Sunday night in time for the start of spring training this week.
On Monday night, they took the field with some of the players from Eagle Mount for all of them to enjoy the traditions and camaraderie of baseball.
The venue for this game, Landon's Miracle Field.
"Let the games begin," said Aiden Charette, who chose to serve as the P.A. announcer.
It's the Blue team or Cupcakes versus the Red team, 25 players,
"With the way that this field is set up, we're able to have our wheelchair users come out and actually participate with us as well," said Rachel, Heveron, Eagle Mount Billings adaptive program director. "So this really allows for our whole 25 participants to come out and play together."
The Eagle Mount players get together on Monday nights to work on many things including socialization, communication, hygiene, and budgets.
And baseball is a special night.
"It can be a sport, but it could also just be a recreational hobby, fishing, things like that," Heveron said about Eagle Mount activities. "And so we really just focus on getting people back into doing sports or things that they might not think that they could."
The Mustangs players number 52, Keagan McGinnis, and number 30, Nate Jenkins, both right-handed pitchers, like meeting the people at their new home for the baseball season.
For the Cupcakes and the Red team, it's a thrill to be on the field with professional baseball players.
One player talked about why baseball is fun.
"Because they're teaching us how to play baseball," Whitney Winterholler said about McGinnis and Jenkins.
"And I'm here with Keagan here," said Charette. "He's right here everybody."
"Excited to be here," said McGinnis. "Really excited for a great season Billings. I love the game so much and just to be able to share that with the community, it's a blessing. So I'm very grateful to be here. I know Nate is as well, another one of the Billings players. So great opportunity."
And baseball is about family.
"Yes," said Ty Graf. "I take care of my friends."
"There's a lot of parallels with life that the game teaches you that maybe aren't as apparent in just day-to-day life," Jenkins said. "And I think gratitude. Not a lot of people get to play at the age I get to do or at the level I get to do and just have the opportunities. You know, I feel extremely lucky."
"We really are kind of one big family," Heveron said.
