Expedition League

Expedition League
Sport	Baseball
Founded	2017
President	Steve Wagner (2017–present)
Motto	Where Tomorrow's Stars Play...Today
No. of teams	10
Countries	United States Canada
Headquarters	Rapid City, South Dakota, United States
Most recent; champion(s)	Badlands Big Sticks
Official website	Expedition League

The Expedition League is a collegiate summer baseball league in the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada. The league was founded in May 2017 in Rapid City, South Dakota, by businessman Steve Wagner, who also serves as president. The league featured eight teams in its inaugural season that began in May 2018.^[1] It added the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks and the Fremont Moo for the 2019 season.^[2] It currently has 10 teams as of the 2019 season.

The Rapid City Jackalopes, originally announced for the 2020 season,^[3] were described in early 2020 as being "at least one more year away" due to the lack of a suitable stadium.^[4] The Hub City Hotshots have suspended operations for the 2020 season and the city of Aberdeen, South Dakota has terminated the contract for use of Fossum Field.^[5] In December 2019, the Sioux Falls Sunfish announced that the team would begin play in the 2020 season,^[6] playing at Karras Park Home of Ronken Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.^[7]

Teams

Division	Team	Location	Stadium	Capacity	Head coach	General manager	Website	Inaugural season	Team owner
Lewis
	Badlands Big Sticks	Dickinson, North Dakota	Astoria Field	840	Billy Tomblin	Jason Watson	Badlands Big Sticks	2018	Dave Ouellette
	Pierre Trappers	Pierre, South Dakota	Hyde Stadium	1,250	Tanner Neale	Jackson Bruce	Pierre Trappers	2018	Steve Wagner, Connie Wagner
	Souris Valley Sabre Dogs	Minot, North Dakota	Corbett Field	2,000	Corey Thompson	Steve Wagner	Souris Valley Sabre Dogs	2018	Steve Wagner, Connie Wagner
	Spearfish Sasquatch	Spearfish, South Dakota	Black Hills Energy Stadium	754	DJ Engle		Spearfish Sasquatch	2018	Eric Schmidt
	Wheat City Whiskey Jacks	Brandon, Manitoba	Andrews Field	3,326	Walker Bullington	Ray Walker	Wheat City Whiskeyjacks	2019	Steve Wagner, Connie Wagner
Clark
	Casper Horseheads	Casper, Wyoming	Mike Lansing Field	2,500	Scott Stover	Chuck Heeman	Casper Horseheads	2018	Chuck Heeman, Mayra Heeman
	Fremont Moo	Fremont, Nebraska	Moller Field		Shea Bennett	Chris Carlsen	Fremont Moo	2019	Chad Miller
	Hastings Sodbusters	Hastings, Nebraska	Duncan Field	1,300	Bryan Frew	Bryan Frew	Hastings Sodbusters	2018	Bryan Frew
	Sioux Falls Sunfish	Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Karras Park Home of Ronken Field				Sioux Falls Sunfish	2020	Steve Wagner, Connie Wagner
	Western Nebraska Pioneers	Gering, Nebraska	Oregon Trail Park Stadium	1,250	Jimmy Turk	Chuck Heeman	Western Nebraska Pioneers	2018	Chuck Heeman, Mayra Heeman

Membership timeline

Possible future teams

Location^[8]	Stadium	Capacity	Possible start date
Gillette, Wyoming			2021
Grand Forks, North Dakota			2021
Kearney, Nebraska			2021
Rapid City, South Dakota			2021
Williston, North Dakota			2021

League officials

Position^[8]	Name
President	Steve Wagner
Director	Connie Wagner
Vice president of operations	Vacant

References

^ Spedden, Zach (May 30, 2017). "Expedition League to Launch in 2018". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
^ Bergson, Perry (Oct 3, 2018). "Expedition League bringing team to Brandon". Brandon Sun. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
^ "Jackalopes coming to Rapid City, Expedition League in 2020". Rapid City Journal. May 15, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
^ "Jackalopes won't be ready for Expedition League 2020 season". Rapid City Journal. January 15, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
^ Sand, Elisa (September 5, 2019). "Hotshots suspend 2020 season, city terminates Fossum Field contract". AberdeenNews.com. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
^ Palleschi, Jerry (December 18, 2019). "Expedition League Set to Announce New Sioux Falls Affiliate". ESPN 99.1. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
^ "New for 2020: Sioux Falls Sunfish". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. February 20, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Sayler, Bruce (January 17, 2018). "Collegians might be on deck at 3 Legends". Butte Sports. Butte, Montana: Butte Broadcasting, Inc. Retrieved December 28, 2018.

External links

Official Website

[1] Spedden, Zach (May 30, 2017). "Expedition League to Launch in 2018". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved September 22, 2017.

[2] Bergson, Perry (Oct 3, 2018). "Expedition League bringing team to Brandon". Brandon Sun. Retrieved October 3, 2018.

[3] "Jackalopes coming to Rapid City, Expedition League in 2020". Rapid City Journal. May 15, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.

[4] "Jackalopes won't be ready for Expedition League 2020 season". Rapid City Journal. January 15, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.

[5] Sand, Elisa (September 5, 2019). "Hotshots suspend 2020 season, city terminates Fossum Field contract". AberdeenNews.com. Retrieved October 2, 2019.

[6] Palleschi, Jerry (December 18, 2019). "Expedition League Set to Announce New Sioux Falls Affiliate". ESPN 99.1. Retrieved March 23, 2020.

[7] "New for 2020: Sioux Falls Sunfish". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. February 20, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.

[on_deck-8] Sayler, Bruce (January 17, 2018). "Collegians might be on deck at 3 Legends". Butte Sports. Butte, Montana: Butte Broadcasting, Inc. Retrieved December 28, 2018.

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