M.I.N.K. Collegiate Baseball League
| Sport | Baseball, Collegiate summer baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| President | Ky Turner |
| No. of teams | 9 (as of December 7, 2019) |
| Countries |  United States |
| Continent | North America |
| Most recent champion(s) | St. Joseph Mustangs |
| Official website | http://www.minkleaguebaseball.com |
The M.I.N.K. Collegiate Baseball League is a collegiate summer baseball league consisting of nine teams. Currently, six teams are from Missouri, two from Iowa and one from Kansas. The league was formed in 2009 and is affiliated within the National Baseball Congress.
League Notes
The M.I.N.K. name derives from the 1910-1913 Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League minor league of the same name. That league used the acronym M.I.N.K., as teams were represented by Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.[1][2]
On May 27, 2020, the MINK League announced cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. In the posting on their website, the league also announced plans to return to play in the 2021 season.[3]
The league included the following teams for 2019: Chillicothe Mudcats, Clarinda A's, Jefferson City Renegades, Joplin Outlaws, Nevada Griffons, Ozark Generals, St. Joseph Mustangs and Sedalia Bombers. St. Joseph captured the 2019 Championship[4]
In November, 2019, The M.I.N.K. Collegiate Baseball League announced that Des Moines, Iowa and Chanute, Kansas would join the M.I.N.K in 2020, forming a nine team league, with the departure of the Ozark Generals.[5]
The MINK League hosts an annual All-Star game and corresponding Home Run Derby. The 2019 game and derby were held in St. Joseph.[6]
The Carroll Merchants moved from the MINK to the Pioneer Collegiate Baseball League after the 2015 season.[7][8] The Branson Merchants, Excelsior Springs Cougars and the Omaha Diamond Spirit are other former league teams.[9][10]
The league notes that: "All MINK Baseball League players are unpaid in order to maintain their NCAA eligibility. Each team is operated in a similar to a professional minor league baseball team, providing players an opportunity to play under the same conditions using wood bats, minor league specification baseballs, experiencing overnight road trips and playing an intense summer league schedule."[11]
Prior to the M.I.N.K., the Clarinda A's won the 1981 National Baseball Congress World Series. The Nevada Griffons were runners up in 1997 & 1998.[12][13]
| 2020 Team | Location | Stadium | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chanute Hoots | Chanute, Kansas | Katy Park | https://chanutebaseball.com/ |
| Chillicothe Mudcats | Chillicothe, Missouri | Shaffer Stadium | http://www.chillicothemudcats.com |
| Clarinda A's | Clarinda, Iowa | Eberly Field | http://www.clarindaiowa-as-baseball.org |
| Des Moines Peak Prospects | Des Moines, Iowa | Granger, Iowa | http://www.peakperformancebaseballclub.com/peak_of_ames_-_summer_league.html |
| Jefferson City Renegades | Jefferson City, Missouri | Ernie Vivion Field | http://www.jeffcityrenegades.com |
| Joplin Outlaws | Joplin, Missouri | Joe Becker Stadium | http://www.joplinoutlaws.com |
| Nevada Griffons | Nevada, Missouri | Lyons Stadium | http://www.nevadagriffons.org |
| St. Joseph Mustangs | St. Joseph, Missouri | Phil Welch Stadium | http://www.stjoemustangs.com |
| Sedalia Bombers | Sedalia, Missouri | Liberty Park Stadium | http://www.sedaliabombers.com |
Map of teams
Notable alumni
- Tony Cingrani Clarinda
- Von Hayes Clarinda
- Ozzie Smith Clarinda[14]
References
- ^ "MINK League - BR Bullpen". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "MINK Summer College Baseball League Contact Information". Minkleaguebaseball.com. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "MINK Summer College Baseball League". www.minkleaguebaseball.com.
- ^ "MINK Summer College Baseball League Teams". Minkleaguebaseball.com. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "MINK Summer College Baseball League". www.minkleaguebaseball.com.
- ^ "MINK Summer College Baseball League All Star Game". www.minkleaguebaseball.com.
- ^ "Carroll Merchants". TeamPages.com. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-01-02. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "MINK League - scoreboard". Pointstreak Sports Technologies. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "MINK League - scoreboard". Pointstreak Sports Technologies. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "MINK Summer College Baseball League". Minkleaguebaseball.com. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "M.I.N.K. Baseball League - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ "National Baseball Congress World Series - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.
- ^ "A's MLB Alumni". Clarinda A's Baseball.