Where the big boys are playing baseball, that’s where you will find the Noxon Red Devils.

Coach Lucas MacArthur and his Noxon Red Devils, who are actually a collection of players from almost all parts of Sanders County, will open their home schedule hosting a pair of games this week, playing Polson Thursday and entertaining Libby.

The Devils opened season play in Columbia Falls Friday, falling 12-2 to the homestanding Wildcats.

Even though the players on the Noxon roster list their home bases from many communities in Sanders County – including Noxon, Trout Creek, Heron, Thompson Falls, Whitepine, and Plains – the fact remains that the Red Devils are going up against much bigger schools, with baseball programs intertwined with Legion programs, almost every time they play. Truly a David versus Goliath situation most times out.

“It is a little daunting sometimes, we are a small school playing some much bigger programs the way Montana baseball is set up right now,” Mac Arthur said. “Our goal is to keep picking up kids that realize our situation and are willing to get on board with us.

“The kids we do have are having a lot of fun with it,” he added. "We want other kids to see that and join us and grow the program here.”

The players MacArthur hopes to build around this season are Dallas Weaver, Eli Sly, Zach Sears, Payton Chambers, Sheldon Frank, Jesse Buchanan, Justice Kayser, Shane Hatchel. Michael Koskela, Josh Ekberg, Riley Reum, Tyler Barton, Laendyn Willis-Buckner and Brayden Reum.

MacArthur said he noticed marked improvement in his team’s performance from last season in the game at Columbia Falls Friday.

“That was the first live pitching we have seen this season and we started getting on to it later in the game, we’re hitting the ball pretty well,” he said. “And we played well defensively too, made some good plays, turned a couple of double plays.

“It was an encouraging day,” he added. "We did some good things.”