The startup summer-collegiate Expedition League made some announcements over the past week, adding Casper and Mike Lansing Field to the mix in 2018, while the Hastings (Neb.) team will be known as the Sodbusters.
The new Casper team will be owned by Chuck and Mayra Heeman, who will also own and operate Expedition League teams in Gering, Neb., and Aberdeen, S.D. Heenan has a background in summer-collegiate ball as well as MiLB. Mike Lansing Field was home to the Casper Rockies and Casper Ghosts (Rookie; Pioneer League) as well as a more recent summer-collegiate team, the Casper Cuttroats.
“Mayra and I are thrilled beyond words to be in Casper and a part of the Expedition League,” Chuck Heeman said. “Our years running summer collegiate teams together were the most challenging and the most fun I’ve had in this business. We’ve been looking for a chance to own our own teams and the Expedition League is the right place for us. When we explored owing teams, Casper jumped right out at us as a fantastic market where we can really create a great family-friendly entertainment venue. It’s a great market, a fantastic ballpark and we’ve already seen great enthusiasm from the fan base. We’ll have a lot of fun here and we invite everyone in Casper and Eastern Wyoming to join us.”
The league currently is envisioned as a 10-team circuit, and founder Steve Wagner says there are owners in every market.