On May 29, Portland’s self-proclaimed “Biggest Block Party” hits Lents Park’s Walker Stadium for the summer. The Portland Pickles, a collegiate wood-bat baseball team, is entering its 11th season. Last year, team owners Alan Miller, Jon Ryan and Scott Barchus also debuted the Bangers, a semi-professional men’s soccer team. This year, they introduced a new semi-professional women’s soccer team: the Cherry Bombs. To learn more about the upcoming seasons for these three teams, The Mossy Log spoke to Lewis & Clark alum Courtney Schmidt ’21 who serves as the general manager for all three teams.
“We kind of joke that we couldn’t pull off some of the things we do in any other city other than Portland, and I think it’s true,” Schmidt said. “We definitely tried to break those barriers and change what people think of going to a baseball game. … Obviously there (are) great athletes on the field putting on a performance, but also if you just want to come out and drink beers with your neighbors and friends, then you can do that too! It’s a great venue for that.”
Dillon T. Pickle, the team’s official mascot, can be spotted cheering the team on at every game. Every Pickles game is accompanied by a theme, ranging in subject from TV shows (“South Park” and “The Simpsons”), to musicians (Grateful Dill, Dillie Parton and Dillie Nelson) to their beloved Woof Wednesdays (all dogs get in for free). The usual favorites, though, are themes that connect the world of baseball to people outside of a typical stadium crowd. Pride Night and Dillon’s Drag Race have each drawn some of the biggest crowds in past seasons. At their core, these teams are all about giving athletes a chance to keep playing the sport they love.
“It’s very cool to see these college kids, mainly college people, come in and get to have these massive games, and all of a sudden have this fanbase,” Schmidt said. “(For) a lot of people, it is the biggest crowds they will ever play in front of. It is cool that we can put that on for them and give them another platform to continue playing.”
For last year’s inaugural season, team management expected Bangers fans to love theme nights just as much as Pickles fans. But this year, Schmidt explained, games will be pivoting to cater to crowds that are there for soccer more than for the environment.
“The Bangers already (have) a great supporter section and people that are season ticket holders, and they’re already developing a personality,” she said. “I’m very excited to see what the personality that develops for the Cherry Bombs is.”
The Cherry Bombs, whose first-ever game is on May 17, have been an important addition to the Portland Pickles family of teams. The Mossy Log asked Director of Operations Lucky Ruona about this process.
“A lot of (our inspirations) actually come from music,” Ruona said. “So we kind of started looking at punk rock music in the area, and you know, there’s the famous ‘Cherry Bomb’ song (by The Runaways). That was, like, the vibe we were going for, with Portland music and that kind of punk rock atmosphere.”
In order to put on a production as large as a Pickles game, the team has recruited almost 60 interns for the 2026 season, split between baseball and soccer. According to Schmidt, most of the Pickles staff were once interns for the team, herself and Ruona included.
“The internship itself is a great opportunity to kind of get your foot in the door when it comes to sports (and) try some new things when it comes to sports,” Ruona said.
Schmidt was a Pickles intern during the summer before her senior year at LC. She asked to extend the internship into the fall, and after graduating, she was offered a job in partnerships by the Pickles, which led to her current role as general manager.
“You’re going to have a hand at game-day operations, on merchandising, on ticket sales, on partnerships, on broadcasting, on literally every aspect of what it is to run a sports team — you’re going to be able to try it out,” Schmidt said regarding the intern experience. “If you come in not knowing exactly what you want to pursue, you can come in and find your niche.”
For anyone lucky enough to be sticking around for a beautiful Portland summer, head over to Lents Park to catch a Pickles, Bangers or Cherry Bombs game. Dress up for the theme, grab a snack, be ready to cheer and if you happen to be named Jim, congratulations! You get free entry for the Pickles’ first preseason game on May 26.
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