The 25th season of Ogden Raptors baseball is in the books, the second-best winning season in franchise history ended by a blown lead and a rally that fell just short.

OGDEN — Niko Hulsizer stopped for a split second and stared. No one would’ve blamed him if he couldn’t see the home run ball he just crushed to left field.

The Ogden Raptors began their Pioneer League championship defense Friday night and, for much of the game, it appeared everything was going swimmingly.

For the ninth time in the last 11 seasons, the Ogden Raptors are in the postseason. And one of those years they missed (2015), due to the quirks of a split-half schedule, the Raptors had the league’s best overall record.

The Raptors fell short Wednesday night but fans can rest easy knowing who and, more importantly, when Ogden will be hosting playoff games.

A sleepy offensive performance turned on its head Tuesday night for the Ogden Raptors and Tre Todd finished a huge rally with one swing.

An Offerman Collado two-run single dealt the Ogden Raptors a 4-2 loss at Idaho Falls on Monday in the team's final regular-season series before the playoffs begin later this week.

OGDEN — Dillon Paulson might as well have been wearing a cape.

Grand Junction delivered a knockout blow in the fourth inning and Ogden’s best pitcher was a position player as the Raptors fell to the Rockies 11-4 on Friday night at Lindquist Field, sending Ogden to its third straight loss.

After trailing all game but fighting back, the Ogden Raptors gave up a hard-fought tie in the ninth inning Thursday night at Lindquist Field, losing 8-6 to Idaho Falls in what was a two-game sweep for the visiting team.

The Ogden Raptors were brought down to earth a little Wednesday night after a four-game sweep of the woeful Orem Owlz.

The Ogden Raptors finished a convincing, four-game sweep of the Orem Owlz in convincing fashion.

A recently added bat produced two big swings, a recently added old friend picked up the victory on the mound and the Ogden Raptors won their third straight game with an 8-5 victory at Orem on Saturday night.

Brett De Geus matched his longest outing of the season and the Ogden Raptors supported him with runs early, running away from the Orem Owlz 13-5 on Friday to open a four-game road trip.

The Ogden Raptors fell behind early Thursday but used a five-run fifth inning to defeat the Great Falls Voyagers 8-7, earning a series split and ending a seven-game homestand.

OGDEN — It happened again Wednesday. It’s commonplace for minor league baseball, but knowing that doesn’t help the Ogden Raptors win ballgames.

The Ogden Raptors continued racking up hits Tuesday but couldn’t make many of them clutch in a 14-5 loss to the Great Falls Voyagers at Lindquist Field.

The Lindquist Field rematch of last year’s Pioneer League championship series kicked off with a bang.

There's a chance the Billings Mustangs and the Ogden Raptors gave a seven-game preview of this year's Pioneer League championship series over the last two weeks.

OGDEN — It was nearly deja vu for Pabel Manzanero.

By the time Ogden’s offense woke up, the Raptors were already in a 6-0 hole Friday night.

OGDEN — The Ogden Raptors return home Friday to begin a string of seven straight home games in the second-to-last homestand of the regular season.

The overnight space between games didn’t slow down Ogden’s bats at all going into the final game of a seven-game road trip.

Eric Peterson had totaled three hits in seven games with the Raptors this season after a recent assignment to Ogden, previously having played in Single-A and Double-A this year.

The last time the Ogden Raptors (35-20) played in Centene Stadium in Great Falls, Montana, they celebrated a historic Pioneer League championship.

The Ogden Raptors finally broke through their post-All-Star game blues Sunday, rolling off 12 unanswered runs in a 15-11 win at Billings to avoid being swept in the finale of a four-game set.

You can’t win them all, the saying goes.

Friday night brought the things child’s dreams are made of for Ogden Raptors outfielder Daniel Robinson.

The Pioneer League season has entered the home stretch with teams back in action following the All-Star break. The Ogden Raptors appeared absent Thursday, regrouped, then lost 12-7 to the Billings Mustangs at Dehler Park.

For the first time in four tries, the Pioneer League defeated the Northwest League in the inter-league All-Star game, held this year Tuesday in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Pioneer League triumphed 13-10.

OGDEN — It was by no means a defensive battle, but the Ogden Raptors scored five runs in the first inning and kept the offense rolling throughout in a 16-9 win Sunday over the Orem Owlz, closing yet another series in the Raptors' favor as the Pioneer League hits the All-Star break.

OGDEN — With the Raptors rolling offensively and playing the worst team in the Pioneer League, Saturday was likely to bring a series win and the fourth straight victory for Ogden.

OGDEN — For now, it doesn’t seem any manner of roster changes will affect the Ogden Raptors, no matter which top hitters are promoted.

OGDEN — To the sixth inning Thursday, it was a game of missed opportunities for the Ogden Raptors.

OGDEN — The Ogden Raptors return home Thursday for a four-game series against the Orem Owlz, which includes a big community night and will be followed by 11 days away from home.

After swapping a pair of high-scoring games, Ogden left no doubt to close its three-game set and claim the series in Grand Junction.

With 16-14 and 20-19 games on the books in the last week, it looked like the Ogden Raptors were headed for another high-scoring marathon Tuesday in Grand Junction.

Not even a day after winning a marathon 20-19 home game against Idaho Falls, the Ogden Raptors (30-14) opened a brief road set at Grand Junction (24-20) with a 9-7 win.

Daniel Robinson’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday clinched a dramatic, wild win for Ogden against Idaho Falls to close a five-game home stand.

OGDEN — Saturday’s game began much like Friday’s did for the Ogden Raptors.

OGDEN — It may have been Golden Spike Night, but there was nobody able to slam the hammer and drive one home.

OGDEN — It was an inauspicious start for Joel Inoa, one you’d never guess would begin one of Ogden’s best mound outings of the season.

OGDEN — The Raptors returned from Big Sky country but left all the Big Fly there, at least for one night.

How do you develop winners?

As the first-half division champion Ogden Raptors open the second half with a five-game homestand from July 25-29, they’ll be helping celebrate a big anniversary for the state (and the nation).

In the last game of the first half and very likely the last game Ogden ever plays against Helena, the Raptors and Brewers gave the fans in Helena a rookie-league classic Tuesday night.

The Ogden Raptors (25-12) scored three runs in the 10th inning to break a 4-4 tie and beat Helena 7-5 on Monday night.

After being silenced at the plate Saturday, the Ogden Raptors bounced back Sunday afternoon.

Ogden’s final series of the first half — and its final regular-season series ever against the Helena Brewers — got off to a sluggish start Saturday evening thanks to Helena starter Aaron Ashby.