WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Former West Chester University infielder,
Casey Vaughan, who also started the 2026 season as an Assistant Coach on head coach
Mike LaRosa's staff, signed a contract to play for the
Idaho Falls Chukars in the Pioneer League – an independent professional baseball league. The Pioneer League is not directly affiliated with Major League Baseball; however, it did become an official MLB Partner League in 2021, allowing the league to maintain close ties with the MLB.
Vaughan completed his playing career with West Chester in 2025 after joining the team as a transfer ahead of the 2024 season. In his two seasons as a Golden Ram, Vaughan appeared in 91 games and made 82 starts, picking up 78 hits, including 26 extra-base hits (19 doubles, five triples, two home runs), while scoring 60 runs and driving in 51. He stole 10 bases in his Golden Ram career and finished his time wearing the Purple and Gold with a slash line of .296/.409/.437.
The Chukar's got their 2026 season underway yesterday against the Billings Mustangs and Vaughan made his debut at third base, going 3-for-5 with a run scored in his first game in the Pioneer League.
ABOUT THE PIONEER LEAGUE
The Pioneer League includes teams in Montana, Idaho, Utah, California, and Colorado, with the Billings Mustangs, Boise Hawks, Glacier Range Riders, Great Falls Voyagers, Vaughan's Idaho Falls Chukars, Long Beach Coast, Missoula PaddleHeads, Modesto Roadsters, Oakland Ballers, Ogden Raptors, RedPocket Mobiles, and the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds.
Founded in 1939, the Pioneer Baseball League (PBL) has a rich legacy of developing elite talent and delivering unforgettable fan experiences across the Mountain West. Originally operating as an MLB-affiliated league for decades, the PBL became an official MLB Partner League in 2021, maintaining close ties to Major League Baseball while gaining the independence to grow, innovate, and entertain in new ways. Today, the Pioneer League includes teams in Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado, and has recently expanded its reach into California with exciting new franchises in Oakland and Marysville. This expanding footprint underscores the league's commitment to bringing professional baseball to passionate communities throughout the western United States.
The PBL is a true player development league, featuring athletes with fewer than three years of professional experience. It serves as a vital launching pad for rising stars while giving fans a front-row seat to baseball's future. Innovation is central to the league's identity. The PBL has become a testing ground for bold new concepts and fan-first enhancements, including the "Knockout Round", a shootout-style extra-inning replacement, along with designated pinch hitters, pinch runners, and more.
The league also has two exciting in-game features: the PBL Home Run Derby, a 13-week, in-season team and individual power-hitting competition held every Saturday night, and the Strike Zone Challenge, which puts pitchers to the test in a precision-based showdown. Each summer, the Pioneer League delivers a 96-game schedule from mid-May through mid-September, offering high-energy baseball in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere across the West.
For tickets, team info, and the latest updates, visit www.pioneerleague.com.
