Winnipesaukee Muskrats

The Winnipesaukee Muskrats are a collegiate summer baseball team in Laconia, New Hampshire, playing in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a wood bat league operating in the northeastern United States. The team's home field is Robbie Mills Field in Laconia.

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Information
LeagueNECBL (Northern Division)
LocationLaconia, NH (2010-present)
Manchester, CT (2000-2009)
BallparkRobbie Mills Field (2010-present)
Year founded2000
League championships0
Former name(s)Laconia Muskrats (2010-2016)
Manchester Silkworms (2000-2009)
Former league(s)
  • NECBL
    • Southern Division (2004-2008)
    • Western Division (2002)
    • American Division (2001)
Former ballparksNorthwest Park (2000-2009)
ColorsLight Blue, Brown, Gold
     
MascotMarko the Muskrat
OwnershipScott Everett, Michael Smith, Peter Erklauer
ManagementCarey Hough (GM)
ManagerRichard Cesca Jr. (head coach)
Websitemuskratsbaseball.com

The Muskrats are an expansion franchise that was formed in 1999 and began play as the Manchester Silkworms of Manchester, Connecticut, in the 2000 season. The team moved to Laconia for the 2010 season. The NECBL announced in November 2015 that the team would be called the Winnipesaukee Muskrats (named after the region's Lake Winnipesaukee) in 2016.

History

Manchester Silkworms
Main article: Manchester Silkworms

The Manchester Silkworms began play in 2000 as the third Connecticut-based NECBL team. The Silkworms' high water mark occurred from 2004 to 2008 when they recorded five consecutive playoff appearances. The team hosted the 2004 NECBL All-Star Game and achieved a franchise best 24-17 record in the same season.

Laconia Muskrats
Left field wall prior to renovations
Laconia Muskrats logo (2009-2016)

After the 2009 season, Silkworms owner Ed Slegeski sold the franchise to a team of partners led by Jonathan and Noah Crane.[1] The Muskrats name was selected from a Name-the-Team contest.[2] In February 2012, the Laconia Parks and Recreation Commission approved a plan of the Muskrats to sell alcohol in a pavilion beyond left field at Robbie Mills Field that would be separate from general seating.[3] On April 30, the club announced the construction of a manual scoreboard patterned after the Green Monster at Fenway Park in Boston at the left-field fence.[4] The wall, 17 feet (5.2 m) tall and 88 feet (27 m) in length, was built during the 2012 season, and painted green by the end of the season, but the party deck was not finished.

Winnipesaukee Muskrats

After the 2015 season, new General Manager Kristian Svindland changed the name of the team from Laconia to Winnipesaukee, the name of Laconia's "Big Lake", to appeal to the entire region.[5]

Postseason appearances
Third baseman Danny Collins, who in 2012 set an NECBL single-season home run record
Year Division Semi-Finals Division Finals NECBL Championship Series
Manchester Silkworms
2004 Riverpoint Royals L (1-2)
2005 North Adams SteepleCats L (1-2)
2006 Newport Gulls L (1-2)
2007 Torrington Twisters L (0-2)
2008 Newport Gulls L (0-2)
Laconia Muskrats
2010 Newport Gulls L (0-2)
2011 Newport Gulls W (2-0) Sanford Mainers W (2-0) Keene Swamp Bats L (0-2)
2012 New Bedford Bay Sox L (0-2)
2014 Vermont Mountaineers L (0-2)
2015 Vermont Mountaineers L (0-2)
Winnipesaukee Muskrats

References
  1. "Manchester Silkworms are sold, moving to New Hampshire". manchestersilkworms.org. Manchester Silkworms. October 18, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  2. Ober, Gail (November 14, 2009). "The winner is...The Muskrats". The Citizen. Laconia, New Hampshire. Archived from the original on November 16, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  3. Kitch, Michael (February 22, 2012). "Parks & Rec Commission decides to allow beer at Muskrats games". The Laconia Daily Sun.
  4. "Monster News from the Muskrats". laconiamuskrats.com. Laconia Muskrats. April 30, 2012. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013.
  5. "Muskrats Announce Name Change". Winnipesaukee Muskrats. November 17, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
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