Glacier Twins program name Murray new manager

Scott Murray has been hired as the new manager of the Glacier Twins AA Legion Baseball club. He replaces Lindsay Fansler who coached the team for two seasons.

Murray is no stranger to Twins baseball. He’s put in nearly 20 years with the organization — five as coach of the A team between 2003-06 and in 2008. Most recently he was an assistant with the AA Kalispell Lakers.

Murray is excited to lead a team that he says is moving in the right direction.

“Lindsay deserves a lot of credit for rebuilding this team,” Murray said. “The Twins are in a good spot, and I’m pleased about getting the chance to be manager here.”

Murray is big on baseball fundamentals and building a quality pitching rotation. He calls himself a positive coach who will reinforce the ideas of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship and hard work into his players.

Murray says there’s no reason why the Twins shouldn’t be a top-tier team for the foreseeable future, noting the strength of the Babe Ruth teams.

“We are the smallest program, but we can be a power,” he said. “We won’t be as deep as the [Missoula] Mavs, be we can be as good as they are.”

Murray lives in Whitefish and works for BN Railway as a conductor training coordinator. He and his wife Tina have two sons, William and Brett.

Murray’s about five years out from retiring from the railroad and says he’d like to be a long-term fixture with the club.

“If we work hard, good things are going to happen,” he said.

Joining him as assistant coaches are Bob Lockman, Seth Carr and Kevin Slaybaugh. Bob Rupp will manage the A team.

The Twins held their first full week of practice outdoors last week. Carl Talsma, Jeremy Nielsen and Connor Donahue are the three returning starters from last year’s club. All three could share time on the mound with Corey Davis, Nick LaGrandeur and Peter Seymour.

Two of the big bats will likely be Shane Marcial and Seymour.

“Judging by the talent I’ve seen, we’ll be just fine,” Murray said.

The Twins will host the state AA tournament this season, which will give them an automatic bid to state, but Murray is still shooting for the team to finish in the top four in the league.

The Twins’ black and white scrimmage will take place at Memorial Park, in Whitefish, on Monday, April 23, at 6 p.m. The regular season will kick off Saturday, April 28, when the Twins host the Helena Senators.