M.I.N.K. Collegiate Baseball League Explained

M.I.N.K. Collegiate Baseball League
Sport:Baseball
Founded:2009
President:Ky Turner
Teams:9
Champion:St. Joseph Mustangs
Champ Season:2019
Most Successful Club:St. Joseph Mustangs (6)
Countries:United States
Continent:North America
Inaugural:2009
Website:http://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.

Teams

TeamLocationStadiumFirst Season
Chillicothe Mudcats Shaffer Stadium2002
Eberly Field 2009
Carroll Merchants Merchants Park 2016
Des Moines Peak Prospects McBride Field 2020
Jefferson City Renegades Ernie Vivion Field 2017
Joplin Outlaws Joe Becker Stadium2009
Nevada Griffons Lyons Stadium2009
St. Joseph Mustangs 2009
Sedalia Bombers Liberty Park Stadium 2009

Former teams

Champions

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

Notable alumni

External links

MINK League

Notes and References

  1. https://www.kmaland.com/sports/mink-baseball-drops-affiliation-with-nbc/article_7de472cc-7f20-11e5-a46e-576572392d0a.html news
  2. Book: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball . Lloyd . Johnson . Miles . Wolff . Third . . 2007 . 978-1932391176.
  3. Web site: Carroll Merchants . TeamPages.com. 1 January 2019.
  4. Web site: May 28, 2020. 2020 MINK League season canceled. Ballpark Digest.
  5. Web site: May 29, 2020. No Griffon baseball as MINK League shelves 2020 season. Nevada Daily Mail.
  6. Web site: MINK Summer College Baseball League. Minkleaguebaseball.com. 1 January 2019.
  7. Web site: September 17, 2019. St. Joseph Mustangs Set New Attendance Record. St. Joseph Mustangs.
  8. Web site: A's MLB Alumni. Clarinda A's Baseball.