Portland Pickles co-owners Jon Ryan and Alan Miller announced the formation of a new farm team for their baseball club: the Portland Gherkins.

The wood bat team, which kicks off its inaugural season on June 3 with a game in Longview, WA against the Cowlitz Black Bears, will be made up of players picked up from colleges and junior colleges throughout the Portland metro area, all of whom will be gunning for a spot on the Pickles roster.

"This is way for us to give more young baseball players an opportunity to play in Portland at Walker Stadium," Ryan said as part of the announcement. "It's a special opportunity for anyone that normally wouldn't be able to play on this platform."

The Gherkins' 2020 schedule (already available online) is a full slate of games that will pit them against other affiliate teams in the West Coast League and independent squads, as well as a few exhibition matches against the Pickles. All home games will be played at Walker Stadium.

The expansion comes after another successful 2019 campaign and off-season for the Pickles. According to Miller, they had record attendance at Walker Stadium, and, in October, an all-star squad of current and former players traveled to Mazatlán, Mexico for an exhibition game against the Mazatlán Venados. The team also plans on releasing a documentary about their trip in the very near future.

Also joining Miller and Ryan for the announcement was the newly-minted mascot of the Gherkins: Lil' P. About which...well, I think this gif speaks for itself.