M.I.N.K. Collegiate Baseball League

M.I.N.K. Collegiate Baseball League
SportBaseball
Founded2009
First season2009
PresidentKy Turner
No. of teams9
CountriesUnited States
ContinentNorth America
Most recent
champion(s)		St. Joseph Mustangs
(2019)
Most titlesSt. Joseph Mustangs (6)
Official websitehttp://www.minkleaguebaseball.com

The M.I.N.K. Collegiate Baseball League is a collegiate summer baseball league consisting of nine teams. Currently, seven teams are from Missouri, two from Iowa. The league was formed in 2009 and was affiliated with the National Baseball Congress until 2015.[1]

History

The M.I.N.K. name derives from the 1910 to 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.[2]

The Carroll Merchants moved from the MINK to the Pioneer Collegiate Baseball League after the 2016 season.[3]

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.

On May 27, 2020, the MINK League announced the cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19.[4][5]

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."[6]

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 and 1998.[citation needed]

Teams

Team Location Stadium First Season
Chillicothe Mudcats Chillicothe, Missouri Shaffer Stadium 2002
Clarinda A's Clarinda, Iowa Eberly Field 2009
Carroll Merchants Carroll, Iowa Merchants Park 2016
Des Moines Peak Prospects Des Moines, Iowa McBride Field 2020
Jefferson City Renegades Jefferson City, Missouri Ernie Vivion Field 2017
Joplin Outlaws Joplin, Missouri Joe Becker Stadium 2009
Nevada Griffons Nevada, Missouri Lyons Stadium 2009
St. Joseph Mustangs St. Joseph, Missouri Phil Welch Stadium 2009
Sedalia Bombers Sedalia, Missouri Liberty Park Stadium 2009

Former teams

  • Branson Merchants
  • Excelsior Springs Cougars
  • Omaha Diamond Spirit
  • Ozark Generals
M.I.N.K. Collegiate Baseball League is located in the United States
Chanute Hoots
Chanute Hoots
Mudcats
Mudcats
Clarinda A's
Clarinda A's
Prospects
Prospects
Renegades
Renegades
Outlaws
Outlaws
Nevada
Nevada
Mustangs
Mustangs
Sedalia
Sedalia
class=notpageimage|
Current team locations:
   MINK south division teams
   MINK north division teams
  Inactive teams

Champions

MINK champions
Season Winner
2009 Chillicothe Mudcats
2010 Sedalia Bombers
2011 St. Joseph Mustangs
2012 St. Joseph Mustangs
2013 Clarinda A's
2014 St. Joseph Mustangs
2015 St. Joseph Mustangs
2016 Sedalia Bombers
2017 St. Joseph Mustangs
2018 Sedalia Bombers
2019 St. Joseph Mustangs[7]
2020 none (season cancelled)
2021 St. Joseph Mustangs
2022 St. Joseph Mustangs

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ news
  2. ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  3. ^ "Carroll Merchants". TeamPages.com. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  4. ^ "2020 MINK League season canceled". Ballpark Digest. May 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "No Griffon baseball as MINK League shelves 2020 season". Nevada Daily Mail. May 29, 2020.
  6. ^ "MINK Summer College Baseball League". Minkleaguebaseball.com. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  7. ^ "St. Joseph Mustangs Set New Attendance Record". St. Joseph Mustangs. September 17, 2019.
  8. ^ "A's MLB Alumni". Clarinda A's Baseball.

MINK League