- Stacie Strader
- Mar 11, 2025 Updated 2 hrs ago
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (KOAM) – The City of Fort Scott is inviting name ideas as they become the newest franchise in the Mid-America League’s collegiate summer baseball circuit.
City officials held a press conference to make the special announcement Tuesday afternoon.
They’ll join the Joplin Outlaws and teams from Texarkana (TX), Fort Smith (AR), Piney Woods (White Oak, TX), Sherman (TX), and Abilene (TX).
The Mid America League says the Fort Scott franchise will start its season in 2026 and play its home games at LaRoche Baseball Complex. The Complex has seating for 500, has multiple party and picnic areas and an overall seating capacity of 3,500.
“Fort Scott has always been a great baseball town and has a long, rich and storied tradition of baseball in this City,” said City of Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin. “LaRoche Sports Complex is one of the best baseball environments in the state of Kansas and this is a wonderful opportunity to provide a safe, affordable place for our local and area families to enjoy a fun, exciting night of baseball entertainment. I want to thank Mark Schuster and Nick Weisenborn from the Mid America Baseball League for their confidence in Fort Scott. We are very excited about this opportunity and can’t wait for Opening Day 2026.”
“The Mid America League is extremely excited to award Fort Scott, KS the 7th MALB Franchise said Nick Weisenborn, Mid America League Executive Director. Being a former college athlete in the area I know personally how important sports in this community are, and I can’t wait for our players to experience that passion. We are very grateful to the city of Fort Scott and their partners for letting us use this top-notch facility, LaRoche Baseball Complex. We can’t wait to get a sneak peak of the action it can provide this July.”
To kickoff baseball in Fort Scott, the Mid America League will host a series in Fort Scott on July 11-13 between the Texarkana Rhinos and the Joplin Outlaws.
“We are very excited to play a home season against the Rhinos in Fort Scott,” said Brian Flynn, former major league and Joplin owner. “To be able to have our players compete in a stadium as nice as LaRoche Baseball Complex is a great opportunity for our athletes.”
The three-day event will be held on July 11-13. Tickets for the series will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, April 5, at 10:00 AM, available at www.joplinoutlaws.com.
Mid America League and the City of Fort Scott says baseball has deep roots in Fort Scott, dating back to its early years. The game evolved during the Civil War, with soldiers playing in camps said Fort Scott Historian Brian Allen. By the late 1800s, Fort Scott had town teams that traveled to compete against other towns. From 1902 to 1906, the city had a minor league team called the Giants, which played in the Missouri Valley League (a level C league), with 14 of its players advancing to Major League Baseball. Prior to 1902, Fort Scott had an unaffiliated minor league team in 1891. Local leagues, often organized by fraternal groups and churches, also played in later years.
In 1903, Fort Scott’s Lon Ury briefly played for the St. Louis Cardinals, recording a hit off Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson. In October 1922, Babe Ruth played a barnstorming game in Fort Scott, hitting a home run and pitching the town team to an 11-9 victory. Later that month, the Kansas City Monarchs defeated the local team 3-2. Over the years, Fort Scott had several baseball venues, including Athletic Park, Harkey Park (now Cameron Heights), and Othick Park, which was made famous by a photograph taken by Gordon Parks.
Beginning today, fans will have the opportunity to submit their name suggestion for the Fort Scott nickname.
Fans simply need to go to www.fortscottbaseball.com to submit their name. The winner of the contest will receive two (2) season tickets for life for the Fort Scott franchise. Also, fans interested in season tickets can reserve their space by clicking on the “Request Information on Season Tickets” on the website.
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