POCATELLO — The Gate City Grays return to action Saturday, opening up their 12th season with a 6 p.m. doubleheader against Smithfield at Halliwell Park.

When they do, fans will be greeted by a team different from year’s past.

“It’s been exciting. It’s almost been refreshing,” said Gate City skipper Rhys Pope. “We didn’t have to chase guys, they're wanting to come play for us this summer, and that’s awesome. I think that’s a credit to what Terry and Erica (Frederickson) do with the Gate City Grays to make this an experience unlike any other.”

Pope is referring to the team’s biggest change this season − roster construction.

The Grays abandoned their traditional open tryout format that dates back to the club's 2014 founding, switching to an invitation-only system.

This shift can be traced directly to Major League Baseball's 2020 elimination of the Professional Baseball Agreement with Minor League Baseball, a decision that left nearly 25% of minor league franchises without major league affiliations and wiped out entire levels of professional play.

The restructuring has created a surplus of skilled players searching for places to continue their careers, allowing semiprofessional organizations like the Grays to be more selective in their roster decisions.

This is evident by the nationwide interest in the Grays this season.

Players from as far away as Pennsylvania have traveled thousands of miles just for the chance to earn a roster spot. So spectators will see a dramatically different squad this year with an 80% roster turnover from last season.

“Competition enhances competition,” said Gate City co-owner Terry Frederickson. “We might pull a guy from Pennsylvania, but that doesn’t mean the guy from Pocatello isn’t as good. When you’re playing with guys from all over the country, it really does bring out the best in everyone. As evidenced by the championship flags that we fly, Pocatello guys are just as good as any guys anywhere else. We just happen to have been given the opportunity to enhance our skills and show our talents.”

Two longtime fan-favorites will be back in Pocatello’s Kyler Spracklen and Blackfoot’s Brayden Pieper. They have been mainstays since 2021. The team is also adding local standout Hudson John, an all-state performer from Highland High School who currently plays collegiately at York University in Nebraska.

Gate City has several other players whose talent and personal stories should also make them endearing to the hometown crowd.

Trayson Kostial, who made the near 2,300-mile cross trek from Pennsylvania, has local ties as a Rexburg native. The international flavor comes courtesy of newcomer Chris Louie, who hails from Canada. And returning to the mix is Trem Toleman, a Pocatello product who represents the continued pipeline of local talent that has become the tradmark of the organization.

All these moves have Pope confident in the Grays' potential this summer.

“I’m pumped, we just had our first practice, and the guys who are not here yet cause they’re still finishing up school, are excited to come in,” Pope said. “I do think we have a shot to be more successful. Hopefully we can get over the hump this year and get to the championship series and bring home some hardware. It’ll be a great group of guys in our clubhouse and hopefully we can go do some damage.”

Success has been a constant for Gate City throughout its history.

The franchise has reached the Northern Utah League playoffs in all 11 previous seasons while never finishing worse than fourth place, standing as one of the conference’s most decorated teams with four championships. However, the Grays are now six seasons removed from their last title in 2018. They’re also looking to rebound from what was an up and down 2023 campaign.

While extending their playoff streak, the Grays still suffered a crushing semifinal exit with back-to-back losses to the Logan Royals, preventing them from reaching the championship series for a sixth straight year. It capped a 15-14 season.

“I was so proud of the way we battled throughout the summer,” Pope said. “We got off to a rough start, found some success, then dipped back down to ride that rollercoaster. But to still get one game away from the championship series, it was great.

“It might not have been the most successful in terms of record, but I thought we were very successful in the way guys learned. They grew and we fought until the very end. We gave the No. 1 team a run for their money, and as coach, that’s all you can ask for.”

The changes for Gate City extend well beyond the roster.

The team is unveiling brand-new uniforms that mark a return to its roots. The Grays are ditching the navy blue color scheme in favor of the original navy and white combination that defined their early years. Halliwell Park itself will undergo a visual transformation thanks to local artist Nick Hoffman, who will paint murals on both the clubhouse and concrete surfaces throughout the ballpark.

“It's going to be beautiful,” Frederickson said. “It’s taking something that’s historic and just enhancing it.”

Finally, they’re welcoming back a familiar face in Braeden Leiby, a former Gray who is rejoining them in a new capacity as the team's doctor.

“I don’t have any kids, so this is the closest I think I’ll ever get to a proud dad moment,” Frederickson said. “So sometimes it’s not about winning the championship, it’s about having your catcher calling you six years later and saying, ‘I’m going to be your team doctor.’”