Independence League Baseball
| Most recent season or competition: 2026 | |
| Classification | Collegiate summer baseball |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 2021 |
| First season | 2022 |
| No. of teams | 7 |
| Country | United States |
Most recent champion | Spearfish Sasquach (2026) |
| Website | independenceleague |
Independence League Baseball is a collegiate summer baseball league in the United States with teams playing in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The league played its inaugural season in 2022 with ten teams and had eight teams for 2023. As of January 2024,[update] eight teams are listed for the 2024 season.
History
The league was announced in October 2021 with seven teams which were leaving the Expedition League:
- Badlands Big Sticks (Dickinson, North Dakota)
- Canyon County Spuds (Caldwell, Idaho)
- Casper Horseheads (Casper, Wyoming)
- Fremont Moo (Fremont, Nebraska)
- Hastings Sodbusters (Hastings, Nebraska)
- Spearfish Sasquatch (Spearfish, South Dakota)
- Western Nebraska Pioneers (Gering, Nebraska)
For the 2022 season, the league added the Gem City Bison (Laramie, Wyoming), the North Platte Plainsmen (North Platte, Nebraska), and the Nebraska Prospects, a traveling team to balance the schedule. The Western Nebraska Pioneers were the champions of the inaugural season.
For the 2023 season, the Oahe Zap were founded in Pierre, South Dakota while the North Platte Plainsmen and the Western Nebraska Pioneers left the league to play their own independent schedules. In December 2022, the Casper Horseheads ceased operations after four years in the two leagues and the Canyon County Spuds announced their relocation from Caldwell, Idaho to Casper, Wyoming to become the Casper Spuds. In January 2023, the Gem City Bison announced that they were skipping the 2023 season, citing "ongoing challenges", and that they will be "working diligently" to return in 2024. In February 2023, the Sawtooth Sockeyes (Caldwell, Idaho) joined the league as an unaffiliated, travel only team to help balance the schedule.
The 2023 season also introduced a new format to the league playoffs. The new format split the league into two half-seasons. The winner of the first half would face off against the second half winner in a 5-game series. The Fremont Moo captured the first-half title, while the Casper Spuds would secure their playoff spot with a second-half run. The championship series came down to game five, winner-take-all, with the Fremont Moo winning the League Championship.
In October 2023, the Badlands Big Sticks left the league to join the Northwoods League for the 2024 season.
In October 2025, the Hastings Sodbusters and Fremont Moo announced they would be leaving to join the newly formed Diamond Baseball League.
As of December 2025,[update] the league has three teams as members for the 2026 season (Casper Spuds, Oahe Zap, Spearfish Sasquatch) and three teams as unaffiliated, travel only teams (Fort Collins Foxes, Capital City Aviators, Bison Baseball).
In September 2026, the Gering Sugar Beets, Gering, Nebraska, would be an expansion team for the 2027 season.
In October 2026, the Bison baseball club announced they would be moving to Mitchell, South Dakota, to become the Palace City Bison. Playing home games at Cadwell Park.
Teams
Current members
| Current teams | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Founded | Joined | Stadium | City | Capacity |
| Spearfish Sasquatch | 2018 | 2022 | Black Hills Energy Stadium | Spearfish, SD | 1,100 |
| Casper Spuds | 2021 | 2022 | Mike Lansing Field | Casper, WY | 2,500 |
| Oahe Zap | 2023 | 2023 | Hyde Stadium | Pierre, SD | 1,200 |
| Fort Collins Foxes | 2005 | 2026 | City Park Field | Fort Collins, CO | 500 |
| Gering Sugar Beets | 2026 | 2027 | Oregon Trail Park Stadium | Gering, NE | 1,200 |
| Palace City Bison | 2024 | 2024 | Cadwell Park | Mitchell, SD | 1,800 |
| Capital City Aviators | 2026 | 2026 | None (traveling team) | Cheyenne, WY | n/a |
Former members
| Former teams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Years | City | Stadium | Disposition |
| Casper Horseheads | 2022 | Casper, WY | Mike Lansing Field | Founded 2018. Discontinued |
| North Platte Plainsmen | 2022 | North Platte, NE | Historic Bill Wood Field | Founded 2022. Left to become independent. |
| Western Nebraska Pioneers | 2022 | Gering, NE | Oregon Trail Park Stadium | Founded 2018. Left to become independent. |
| Gem City Bison | 2022 | Laramie, WY | Cowboy Field | Founded 2022. Planning to return in 2024. |
| Badlands Big Sticks | 2022–23 | Dickinson, ND | Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark | Founded 2018. Left to join Northwoods League. |
| Sawtooth Sockeyes | 2023 | Caldwell, ID | None (traveling team) | Founded 2023. |
| Hastings Sodbusters | 2022–2025 | Hastings, NE | Duncan Field | Founded 2018. Left to join the Diamond Baseball League. |
| Fremont Moo | 2022–2025 | Fremont, NE | Moller Field | Founded 2019. Left to join the Diamond Baseball League. |
| Nebraska Prospects | 2022–2025 | n/a | None (traveling team) | Founded 2022. |
Membership timeline
Champions
Baseball champions
| Season | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Western Nebraska Pioneers | Spearfish Sasquatch |
| 2023 | Fremont Moo | Casper Spuds |
| 2024 | Casper Spuds | Fremont Moo |
| 2025 | Spearfish Sasquatch | Oahe Zap |
| 2026 | Spearfish Sasquatch (2) | Casper Spuds |
Map
Current Team Locations
References
- ↑ "Independence League Baseball | Collegiate Summer Baseball League". Independence League Baseball. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- 1 2 "Independence League Baseball | Collegiate Summer Baseball Coming Summer 2022". Independence League Baseball. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- 1 2 "Independence League Baseball | Collegiate Summer Baseball League". Independence League Baseball. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ↑ "Independence League Baseball | Collegiate Summer Baseball League". Independence League Baseball. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ↑ "Sasquatch, six others form Independence League". Rapid City Journal. October 30, 2021. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ↑ Reichard, Kevin (October 30, 2021). "Seven teams leave Expedition League, form new Independence League". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ↑ Kuzma, Nick (May 18, 2022). "Gem City Bison to start inaugural season next week". Wyoming News Now. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ↑ Bonner, Lindsey (December 22, 2021). "North Platte welcomes the Plainsmen to town". KNOP-TV. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ↑ "New for 2022: North Platte Plainsmen | Ballpark Digest". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. December 22, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ↑ Watson, David (February 24, 2022). "Summer collegiate baseball is becoming a reality with Gem City Bison". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ↑ Winner, Bryanna (August 7, 2022). "Pioneers win Independence League Championship". Star-Herald. Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ↑ Burrall, David (November 7, 2022). "Oahe Zap Officially Joins Independence League Baseball". DRG News. Dakota Radio Group. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ↑ Ovenden, Mark (November 15, 2022). "Pierre will have summer baseball at Hyde Stadium with Oahe Zap". Dakota News Now. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- 1 2 3 Clanton, John (January 25, 2023). "Western Nebraska Pioneers Release 2023 Schedule". KNEP. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
... due to Western Nebraska and North Platte deciding to leave the Independence League in most part because of travel and budget expenses.
- 1 2 Raun, Andy (February 13, 2023). "City Council OKs fresh Duncan lease for Sodbusters". Hastings Tribune. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ↑ LaChance, Brendan (December 15, 2022). "Casper Horseheads ceases operations after four seasons at Mike Lansing". Oil City News. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ↑ Paniagua, Nick (December 19, 2022). "Casper Horseheads Close Operations After Four Years". Wyoming News Now. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ↑ Miller, Kevin (December 16, 2022). "Canyon County Spuds Leave Caldwell For Desolate Wyoming". KIDO Talk Radio. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- 1 2 Jamaludin, Adlynn (January 27, 2023). "Gem City Bison Is Taking A Break This 2023 Season". KOWB, AM 1290. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ↑ Ray, Rich (August 6, 2023). "Fremont Moo Win ILB Title". Fremont Moo. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- 1 2 Bomberg, Matt (October 10, 2023). "Northwoods League Welcomes the Badlands Big Sticks for 2024". Northwoods League. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ↑ Lucas, George (October 6, 2025). "Hastings Sodbusters Join the Diamond Baseball League". Diamond Baseball League. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Gering selects summer baseball proposal for a team in the Independence League". KMOR. September 3, 2026. Retrieved October 24, 2026.
- ↑ https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/parks-board-keeps-bison-baseball-035900067.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJZ00gTPS0310Ohmk75AuRPdnOoCzk896ip_uj-Vhy7xZKFsCYY30g6uCFFlUPDevN8yRRemVdGlwJ2j7xfFeuue15fCXkkZAMFQpxUs_hAKRTKjBr7JRJ3_uFIExTVQNDiAsBsMhxJFTZSGxDyJ6p_rAaOOZ8_lVpG_ZHf5-VF1