Elite college baseball league coming to Sioux Falls

Dec. 20, 2019

The Expedition League, an elite summer college wood bat baseball league, is coming Sioux Falls next year.

The team will play at Karras Park at Ronken Field on the Augustana University campus.

Expedition League teams play a 64-game season, which will begin May 26 and end Aug. 8, with one week of playoffs after the regular season. The 2020 season will include 10-member teams.

“We are thrilled to be adding an Expedition League team in Sioux Falls”, said Steve Wagner, Expedition League president.

“Sioux Falls is a wonderful, growing, thriving community and is the largest city in South Dakota. It’s an economic and cultural hub with low unemployment, a strong economy and one of the best business climates in the entire country.”

Karras Park at Ronken Field is an “incredible venue for Expedition League baseball and fun,” he added.

“Augustana University has done an outstanding job of improving the facility, and we’re looking forward to working closely with Augustana on additional upgrades coming for the 2020 season that will enhance the fan experience.”

According to a statement, the Expedition League promotes affordable family entertainment while providing the tools and experience to optimize collegiate players’ development and potential to play professional baseball, while providing the infrastructure and support necessary for the success of the league-affiliated team owners.

“We’re happy to have the Expedition League use our home during the Augustana off-season. We feel like we have the best college baseball stadium in the region, and we’re glad the Expedition League recognized that and wanted to play their home games on the Augustana campus,” athletic director Josh Morton said.

“The Sioux Falls community is at the heart of everything we do at Augustana, and this is one more opportunity to show that. I’m especially pleased this will provide some of our own baseball student-athletes a chance to play summer baseball in a community that supports us so well during the season.”

The team has hired Bill Larsen as its general manager. Larsen is a 25-year minor league baseball veteran who has served as the general manager of multiple teams.

“I’m excited to be in Sioux Falls and involved with a summer collegiate baseball team in the Expedition League,” he said. “Sioux Falls is a great baseball city, and once fans come to an Expedition League game at Karras Park this summer, you’ll want to come back again and again for more fun than you ever expected.”

The team’s head coach is Caleb Lang, the hitting coach at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla., a Division II school in the Peach Belt Conference. This past summer, he served as an assistant coach with the Traverse City Pit Spitters in the Northwoods League. That team won the league championship and set a league record for wins.

The team is looking to fans for input and suggestions for its name.

“We look forward to the fans’ great ideas for the name and logo since this team belongs to the people of Sioux Falls and the surrounding communities,” Wagner said.

“Some great team names have already been suggested, and we look forward to hearing from more people in the community.”

Once the team receives all input, it will narrow down the potential team names and run a poll to choose the finalists and the ultimate team name.

Team names can be submitted on the Expedition League’s website at expeditionleague.com.

Host families needed for players and interns

The new Sioux Falls team is looking for host families to house players and interns for the summer months. Interns arrive in mid-May, and players arrive in late May; all stay through early August. Players will be on the road for half the season and at your home when the team is in town. Families need to provide a bed and safe housing. Host families receive free season tickets, discounts on concessions and merchandise, and other perks. If interested in being a host family, email [email protected].

Corporate partnerships and group outings

2020 corporate partnership and group outing inquiries can be directed to Larsen at 941-773-8580 or Wagner at  612-840-1895.

“The team has many exciting opportunities available to maximize the exposure of your company’s products or services in a fun, entertaining environment,” the league said in a statement. “We can entertain groups of any size, and we will provide an unforgettable experience for your employees and clients.”

For information on season tickets, visit expeditionleague.com.

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Elite college baseball league coming to Sioux Falls

The Expedition League, an elite summer college wood bat baseball league, is coming Sioux Falls next year.

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