Missoula Paddleheads Draft Two Players After PBL Tryout
Pitchers Austin Harford and Luke Wechsler join the roster ahead of the 2026 season.
Missoula, MT – Last week, the Missoula Paddleheads participated in the annual PBL Arizona Tryout, in which all of the teams across the Pioneer League descend upon Scottsdale, Arizona for a three-day camp where players compete for the attention of the league's top coaches and managers.
This year, with over 150 players in attendance competing, two ended the week as the latest to be drafted to the Paddleheads: Austin Harford and Luke Wechsler, both right-handed pitchers. Harford has spent time pitching for the DeLand Suns in Florida, while Wechsler is just coming off of a four-year college career pitching for the California Lutheran Kingsmen.
"We are excited to have Luke and Austin joining us from the PBL tryout and draft in Phoenix last week," said team manager Michael Schlact. "These are two solid arms who have a chance to contribute to our club and we're excited to see what they can do. We love being a part in helping players realize their lifelong dreams of playing professional baseball, and to see their excitement firsthand was really special."
Schlact continued to describe the experience of attending this year's PBL Tryout:
"The PBL Tryout showcased over 150 players chasing a dream of starting or continuing their professional careers. To see the heart, hustle and grind on display reminds all of us why we do what we do. Sometimes, it's not about impressing 12 teams. It's about the one team seeing you and realizing that it's a fit."
Spring training for the Missoula Paddleheads begins in May, and the first home game of the season will take place on Tuesday, June 2nd. Tickets for all home games are now available at the Paddleheads' website.
For questions, interviews, or media inquiries regarding Harford or Wechsler, please contact Mike Smith at msmith@gopaddleheads.com.
