A Manitoba team in a collegiate summer baseball league will be playing its home games in Grand Forks this year.
The Brandon-based Wheat City Whiskey Jacks of the Expedition League say they will play at Kraft Field because of uncertainty regarding the U.S.-Canada border… and limits on attendance in Manitoba.
The regular season runs from late May to early August, followed by playoffs.
The Whiskey Jacks were unable to participate in the 2020 season.
Grand Forks is getting an expansion team in the Expedition League in 2022.
In 1998, the old Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks of the Northern League played some home games at Kraft Field because of a strike of Thunder Bay city workers.
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Expedition League release:
The Expedition League’s Wheat City Whiskey Jacks, based in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, will play the 2021 season at Kraft Field in Grand Forks, North Dakota. In early February, the Expedition League announced the addition of an expansion affiliate in Grand Forks beginning in the 2022 season.
“We’re disappointed that due to continued uncertainty regarding the Canadian – United States border and the limits on attendance at sporting events in Manitoba, we were forced to make this very difficult decision”, said Steve Wagner, Expedition League President. “After the Whiskey Jacks were not able to participate in the Expedition League’s 2020 season, we were excited to return to Brandon with our brand of baseball and FUN for the 2021 season. We are thrilled that the Whiskey Jacks do not have to sit out the 2021 season and that Kraft Field and Grand Forks offer an incredible home alternative for the Whiskey Jacks in 2021. With our recent announcement of a 2022 expansion affiliate in Grand Forks, the great fans in and around Grand Forks will now be able to experience the Expedition League one year earlier than expected. The Grand Forks Park District, Executive Director Bill Palmiscno, and his entire staff have been wonderful to work with on both the new expansion affiliate beginning in 2022 and the temporary move of the Whiskey Jacks for the 2021 season. We look forward to returning to Wheat City for the Whiskey Jacks 2022 season.”
Brandon Bochenski, Grand Forks Mayor, stated, “I’m very excited that Grand Forks will host a minor league-like baseball team. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were watching the big kids play the sports I loved.”
“The Grand Forks Park District and Kraft Field Memorial Stadium is honored to be the home field of the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks in the 2021 season,” commented Grand Forks Park District Executive Director Bill Palmiscno. “The Expedition League and the Whiskey Jacks will bring high-quality pre-major league baseball games here in Grand Forks.”
“We are excited to be the host location of the Expedition League’s Whiskey Jacks this summer. Their stellar baseball games will bring a new entertaining summer-time experience to the Grand Forks area, while adding a positive economic impact to our community,” stated Grand Forks Park District Spokesperson Jill Nelson.
The Expedition League’s 2021 Opening Day is May 25th and the regular season ends on August 7th, with one week of playoffs after the regular season to crown the League champion. The 2021 All-Star Extravaganza will be July 19-20 at Mike Lansing Field in Casper, WY, home of the Casper Horseheads.
For more information about the Expedition League, please visit our website at www.expeditionleague.com.
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