BILLINGS — Players twisted into whatever positions they could manage to get some sleep along the way.
That was life on the road for the Billings Mustangs this week — and they still hammered out a convincing Pioneer League playoff win.
The team took a bus from Billings to Long Beach, Calif., straight through, with three drivers rotating behind the wheel and stops only for bathroom breaks, food and driver changes. The one-way trip took roughly 19 hours on the bus, with the total running around 24 hours.
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And it was worth it. The Mustangs used a late-inning surge Tuesday night to blast the Long Beach Coast 12-2 and take Game 1 of the best-of-three series.
On the return trip, players were given a choice: take another 24-hour bus ride back to Billings, or fly home at their own expense. About half the team chose to fly, MTN Sports was told.
Now with 70 wins, the Mustangs are one more away from a league championship. A title would end a 12-year drought. As a franchise, the Mustangs own 15 Pioneer League titles, the first dating back to 1950.
Pitching coach Dennis Rasmussen knows what it means to come close and fall short. He pitched in Major League Baseball for more than a decade with the Padres, Yankees, Reds, Cubs and Royals — but never made the playoffs.
"I'm probably more excited for them (our players), but I'm equally excited because I never experienced that at the big-league level," Rasmussen told MTN Sports.
In his era, only division winners advanced.
"You know, I finished second two or three times. Once with San Diego and a couple times with the Yankees, but that was it because there was no wild card," Rasmussen recalled.
Now he, manager Craig Maddox, hitting coach Joel Hartman and their players are on the verge of championship rings.
The Mustangs and Coast will take the field Friday at 6:35 p.m. at Dehler Park for Game 2. If necessary, Game 3 will be on the same diamond Saturday with first pitch also at 6:35.
