Mark Simon Joins Missoula Impact Baseball Club as Pitching Coach
Written By Dave Smith
Mark Simon, the 2021 Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year with the Missoula Paddleheads, is back for a second stint as a Missoula Impact Baseball Club pitching coach. Simon recently signed with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball Leagues, and will continue his professional baseball career in 2024 in one of the Nation’s most storied baseball leagues. Simon is living in Missoula this winter and is contributing his time, knowledge, and energy to bullpen work with the Impact pitchers and throwing mechanics drills with position players.
Simon, a Houston native, emerged as one of the top prep pitchers in Houston his senior year in high school and went on to play college baseball at New Mexico Junior College and Oklahoma City University. He then spent two seasons playing alongside former MLB players at the AAA level of the Mexican League. In 2022, Simon signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and pitched for the Blue Jays High-A minor league affiliate, Vancouver Canadians. He returned to Missoula last winter, helped coach Impact Baseball, and then notched another solid campaign with the Paddleheads this summer, recording 12.9 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched.
Simon’s vast experience brings another impressive dynamic to the accomplished Impact coaching staff led by Colton Little, Director of Baseball Operations, and Ryan Roche, Manager. High school kids interested in playing for the Missoula Impact Baseball Club 18U team in 2024 are invited to join high-energy hitting sessions run by Little on Wednesday nights, 6:00-7:00, and defense-pitching sessions by Roche and Simon on Thursday nights, 8:00-9:00 at the Lady Griz facility. The player cost for the full winter facility season is a total of $200 if participating on both nights; fees are collected on the third night of participation. Sessions will be operated December 20, 21, and 27, and then every Wednesday and Thursday from January 3 through March 14. Impact tryouts will be announced next month, so stay tuned!