The summer-collegiate West Coast League will add a Clark County, WA member in 2019, with the team to play its home games at a Ridgefield sports complex.
In an announcement Thursday, the WCL revealed an expansion membership in the Clark County market. The yet-to-be-named team will play in Ridgefield, with its home venue to be included in the currently under-construction Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex (RORC). Construction on the complex (rendering shown above) is scheduled to conclude this September.
“As a league, we’re thrilled with this expansion,“ said WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer. “The new stadium is a first-class facility in the heart of our footprint, in a community with deep grass-roots passion for baseball.”
It is anticipated that the yet-unnamed team will play in the League’s Southern Division, together with Bend, Corvallis, Cowlitz, Portland, and Walla Walla.
“Ridgefield has been a dynamic, proactive expansion partner,” added Neyer. “The area is growing quickly, and our process in bringing a new team exemplifies why.”
The RORC’s 1,800-seat ballpark broke ground in the spring, and will anchor the multi-field complex.
“We believe this facility and this team will be a regional attraction,” said Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stuart. “It has been a long-term effort to attract a team to the area, and we are thrilled with how it has come together.”
The new team expects to make staffing announcements in coming weeks, with the team name announcement slated for the end of the summer.
“We are looking forward to engaging with the community on the team’s identity,” said Tony Bonacci, spokesperson for the ownership group. “We are going to hit the ground running, with developments throughout the summer.”