9-597: The Expedition League was a collegiate summer baseball league in the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada . The league was founded in 2015 in Rapid City, South Dakota , by Steve Wagner, who also served as president. The league's inaugural season was 2018 with eight teams. It played its final season in 2022. Teams played a 64-game season from late May through the beginning of August. Playoffs took place in
18-648: The 2020 season, were described in early 2020 as being "at least one more year away" due to the lack of a suitable stadium. The Hub City Hotshots suspended operations for the 2020 season and the city of Aberdeen, South Dakota terminated their contract for use of Fossum Field. In December 2019, the Sioux Falls Sunfish announced that the team would begin play in the 2020 season, playing at Karras Park Home of Ronken Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota ; due to COVID , they started playing in 2021. The Canyon County Spuds and
27-716: The 2022 season. During the 2022 season, the Expedition League was forced to end its season early after the Red River Pilots and North Iowa Ragin Roosters both folded by July 4, causing a best of three series between the Pierre Trappers and Souris Valley Sabre Dogs. The Sabre Dogs collected their second straight championship after defeating the Trappers by three games to one. The Trappers and Sabre Dogs folded soon after, alongside
36-851: The Mining City Tommyknockers joined the league for the 2021 season in Caldwell, Idaho and Butte, Montana , respectively. In February 2021, the league announced plans for a new team in Grand Forks, North Dakota , later named the Red River Pilots, to debut in 2022. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic closing the US-Canada border, the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks played their 2021 home games at Kraft Field in Grand Forks, North Dakota . The Pierre Trappers chose not to seek renewal of their ballpark lease after
45-486: The collegiate summer season. These draftees can remain with their collegiate summer team until they sign a professional contract. During the season, players are housed by volunteer host families and bussed to and from road games. The leagues vary greatly in their attendances, quality of play, and ability to attract scouts. The Alaska Baseball League (ABL) and the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) are considered
54-701: The common nickname of these leagues as "wood-bat leagues". Collegiate summer leagues allow college baseball players the ability to compete using professional rules and equipment, giving them experience and allowing professional scouts the opportunity to observe players under such conditions. To find a collegiate summer team, players work with their college coaches and prospective teams' general managers. They report to summer leagues after completing their spring collegiate season with their NCAA , NAIA , NJCAA , CCCAA , and NWAC teams. Some players arrive late due to their college team's postseason play, which sometimes runs into early June. In some cases, players are drafted during
63-492: The league, in 2022. Collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate from early June to early August. In contrast to college baseball , which allow aluminum or other composite baseball bats , players in these leagues use only wooden bats, hence
72-600: The second week of August with teams seeded for the playoffs, with each team making the playoffs. The first round of the playoffs and the League Championship Series were best-of-three series. The league was founded in 2015 and featured eight teams in its inaugural season that began in May 2018. It added the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks and the Fremont Moo for the 2019 season. The Rapid City Jackalopes, originally announced for
81-413: The two premier collegiate summer leagues. This list is organized by federation. Source: Chicago Suburban Baseball League Alaska Baseball League The Alaska Baseball League ( ABL ) is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league based entirely in southern Alaska . Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. In
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