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29-524: The Williston Oilers teams hosted home minor league games at Ardean Aafeldt Stadium, which is still in use today. Minor league baseball began in Williston, North Dakota in 1954, when the Williston "Oilers" began play as members of the four-team, independent level Manitoba-Dakota League, known as the " Mandak League ." The Brandon Greys, Carman Cardinals and Minot Mallards teams joined the Oilers in beginning play in

58-593: A Scotman's kilt ". Opening day was postponed due to the 1950 Red River flood inundating Osborne Stadium , and the schedule was changed for the Winnipeg teams begin on the road. Dunn and the league arranged several benefit games to raise money for local charities. Dunn planned a league all-star game in mid-June as a fundraiser for Winnipeg's Flood Fund, with the players picked by the Winnipeg Free Press and The Winnipeg Tribune . In July 1950, Dunn stated that

87-633: A 2021 launch of the Sylvan Lake team were announced November 1, 2019. Branding as the Sylvan Lake Gulls was announced in March 2020. Saskatoon was awarded the most recent expansion team, in 2023. In July 2023, the team unveiled that it would be called the Saskatoon Berries . Saskatchewan Territorial (1895–1905) and Provincial (1906–present) champions have been decided by an annual tournament. In 1967

116-512: A local baseball founder. Ardean Aafeldt Stadium is located within Davidson Park at 1002 11th Street W in Williston, North Dakota. Mandak League The Manitoba-Dakota League was an independent baseball league based in Manitoba and North Dakota that was founded in 1950. It became the home for many African-American and Latino players. The league lasted through the 1957 season. It

145-734: A prisoner in the German POW camp Stalag IX C(b) in Meiningen . On August 31, 1945, Shepard received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal for his service in World War II in between games of a doubleheader for his Washington Senators . General Omar Bradley presented his medals in the ceremony at Griffith Stadium . In the 1955 season, the Mandak League continued play, with

174-588: A team based in Grand Forks, North Dakota . Dunn was re-elected president in 1949, and continued negotiations for a team in Grand Forks in addition to the four returning teams. When negotiations failed, an entry from Carman, Manitoba , was admitted as the fifth team in the league. In January 1950, the Manitoba Senior Baseball League added a team from Minot, North Dakota , and was reorganized into

203-674: Is a collegiate summer baseball league. The league is home to teams based in the Canadian Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta , and has roots dating back to 1931 in Saskatchewan's Southern Baseball League. In 1975, the province's southern and northern leagues merged, creating the foundation for the WCBL. Today, the league boasts seven teams in Alberta and five in Saskatchewan. The league can trace its roots back to 1931, via its predecessors,

232-520: The Bismarck Barons and Dickinson Packers , teams joining the league, replacing the Brandon and Carman, as the returning Minot Mallards and Williston Oilers remained in the league. In 1955, the Oilers finished the regular season in second place in the four-team Mandak League and lost in the first round of the four-team playoffs. Williston ended the regular season with a record of 41–37, to place second in

261-707: The Minot Mallards in 1950. The Manitoba Senior Baseball League was established in May 1948, which returned an independent baseball league to Manitoba for the first time since the Winnipeg Maroons of the Northern League folded in 1942. Winnipeg sports executive Jimmy Dunn was elected president of the league which included three teams in Winnipeg, and one team in Brandon, Manitoba . The league unsuccessfully sought to add

290-538: The 1958 season as members of the Western Canada League and the 1959 season as members of the Canadian-American League . The Williston Oilers hosted home minor league games at Ardean Aafedt Stadium. The ballpark is still in use today. The ballpark has undergone numerous upgrades and has hosted three youth baseball Babe Ruth League World Series. Constructed in 1950, Ardean Aafedt Stadium is named for

319-522: The Brandon Greys by the score of 5–4. Williston's John Chalfont hit a sacrifice fly that drove in teammate Ron Martin with the winning run in the 11th inning. Lloyd Gearhart of the Oilers had four hits and a home run in the contest. On August 20, 1954, Oiler player Dewey Williams was attacked by two men on the Williston's Main Street and was stabbed in his chest and abdomen, nearly losing his life. Williams

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348-562: The Mandak League planned to speak with Major League Baseball commissioner Happy Chandler about joining the professional baseball structure for the following season. The Winnipeg Free Press expressed concerns that the Korean War could negatively affect the league, but also that the popularity of the Mandak League had led to decreased attendance for women's softball in Manitoba. After the season, team executives lauded Dunn for his leadership of

377-490: The Mandak League regular season pennant and overall league championship in the 1956 season. The Oilers finished in first place with a 49–29 record, playing the season under managers Dee Moore and Preston Elkins. Williston finished 2.0 games ahead of the second place Bismarck Barons in the regular season standings. In the first round of the four–team playoffs, the Dickinson Packers were defeated by Williston 4 games to 3. In

406-517: The Mandak League with Dunn elected as president for the season. The league drafted a new constitution, decided that its teams would wear a patch including both the flags of Canada and the United States, and planned a parade with a marching band through downtown Winnipeg on its opening day. Dunn described the opening day plans by saying that, "the Mandak baseball league this year will be more colourful than

435-415: The Mandak League. In the era, a player in the lower-level minor leagues earned approximately $ 150 per month, while Mandak League salaries in the era may have started at about $ 275 per month, with some players earning up to $ 900 per month. The league was also an integrated league, with many former negro leagues players on team rosters. With 2,550 fans in attendance at home on May 29, 1954, Williston defeated

464-655: The Manitoba–Dakota League regular season. Playing under manager Roy Weatherly , the Oilers finished 4.0 games behind the first place Bismarck Barons. In the Playoffs, the Willison Oilers were defeated by Minot 4 games to 3 in the first round, ending their season. In 1956, Madak League teams also played some games against teams from the Western Canadian Baseball League . The Williston Oilers won both

493-743: The Southern Baseball League (1931 to 1974) and the Northern Saskatchewan Baseball League (1959 to 1974). The Saskatchewan Major Baseball League (SMBL) was formed in 1975 through a merger of the Southern and Northern leagues. Three teams from each former league entered the new loop—the Eston Ramblers, Saskatoon Royals, and Unity Cardinals from the north, and the Moose Jaw Devons, Regina Red Sox, and Swift Current Indians from

522-426: The clinching game. 1957 was the final season of the Mandak League, as the Brandon Greys returned to the league, replacing the Dickinson Packers franchise. The Oilers placed third in the Mandak League standings, playing the season under returning manager Preston Elkins. With a 34–37 record, Williston tied with Brandon for third place, 3.5 games behind the first place Bismarck Barons in a close race. The playoffs were not

551-469: The first place Minot Mallards. In the four–team playoffs, the Brandon Greys defeated Williston 4 games to 3 in the first round. Oiler manager Bert Shephard was an amputee, and was the first major league amputee player, pitching in one game in 1945. Shephard had his right leg amputated after his fighter plane was shot down during World War II in May 1944. The left–handed pitcher taught himself to walk and eventually to pitch again with an artificial leg while

580-534: The league despite that only one of the five teams made a profit. He was unanimously re-elected as president and the league assumed the control of scheduling umpires instead of the home teams doing so. The league's schedule was increased from 48 to 64 games with the hope that more games would make the season profitable. Dunn resigned as Mandak League president at the conclusion of the 1951 season. List of Mandak League teams: Western Canadian Baseball League The Western Canadian Baseball League ( WCBL )

609-696: The league. The new Williston franchise replaced the Winnipeg Royals in the league. The Williston use of the "Oilers" nickname corresponds to local history and industry in the era. Williston is home to numerous oil fields, first discovered in 1936 and is the namesake of the Williston Basin . The Mandak League was a professional independent minor league that was not affiliated with the minor league baseball . The Mandak League member teams often paid players better than affiliated minor league teams. Some league players left minor league baseball and played for teams in

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638-420: The playoff final, the Oilers defeated Minot in six games to claim the league championship. On September 7, 1956, Willison won game six of the finals to win the Mandak League championship series 4 games to 2. Williston pitcher Jack Sanoff was the winner as Williston defeated Minot 7–3 to capture the Mandak League title in six games. Sanoff pitched a three-hitter and hit a homer run, triple and single, with 5 RBI in

667-583: The remainder of his life in the community. He worked part time for the Williston Parks and Recreation Board umpiring baseball games, before retiring in 1982. In their first season of play, the Williston Oilers placed third in the Manitoba-Dakota League regular season standings. Managed by Bert Shepard , the Oilers ended the 1954 regular season with a record of 28–40, finishing 11.5 games behind

696-608: The south. The league was renamed the Western Major Baseball League in 2000 to reflect teams based in Alberta, along with the possibility of future expansion to British Columbia . In June 2018, it was announced that the league would be renamed the Western Canadian Baseball League. The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Due to COVID-19 restrictions and logistics, the 2021 season

725-440: The usual four–team playoffs. Instead, the league president placed Bismarck and Minot, the top two regular season finishers, directly into the finals, which were ended due to poor weather with Minor up 2 games to 1. The Mandak League folded after the 1957 season. Williston continued hosting independent minor league for the next two seasons, with roster, record and league information unknown for both seasons. Willison reportedly played

754-545: Was granted an expansion team, the Eds, in 2011 conditional on building a new stadium. However, the plans failed to come to fruition. In May 2020, the Edmonton Prospects confirmed that the team would be leaving Edmonton for Spruce Grove by 2022, but due to construction delays at Myshak Metro Ballpark , those plans have been pushed back. The two most recent additions to the league are in Sylvan Lake and Saskatoon. Plans for

783-591: Was hospitalized under 24–hour police guard and was in serious condition before ultimately recovering. One of the attackers, a laborer drifter named Paul Jackson, was arrested, plead guilty to the assault and was sentenced to one year in the state penitentiary. Williams and Jackson had known each other and had a previous altercation in Toledo, Ohio after Williams had played a minor league game there. Williams played in four Mandak League seasons. A native of North Carolina , Williams eventually married and settled in Williston, living

812-574: Was known informally as the Mandak League or Man-Dak League . The league originated as the Manitoba Senior Baseball League founded in 1948, with Jimmy Dunn as its president. It was the outlet for former Negro leaguers to continue playing and entertaining fans, occupying fields with ex-major leaguers, minor league stars and some of the best Manitoba, North Dakota, and Minnesota born players. It featured such greats as Willie Wells , Leon Day , Ray Dandridge and Satchel Paige , who pitched briefly for

841-476: Was played with only five Alberta-based teams and Canadian players only. As of 2024 , WCBL membership consists of 12 teams in two divisions. The West Division is made up of six Albertan teams, while the East Division is made up of all five teams from Saskatchewan, plus the easternmost Albertan team from Medicine Hat. The top four teams in each division qualify for the post-season. Cranbrook, British Columbia ,

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