Lafayette Exploring Team Options for New Ballpark

When the new Loeb Stadium, going up at the corner of Main Street and Wallace Avenue in Columbian Park, opens, what baseball team will take the mound at the $20 million facility during its first full summer in 2021?  Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski isn’t making any promises.  Read more here

End of An Era: Demolition of Loeb Stadium Underway

It’s the end of an era as demolition crews began tearing down Loeb Stadium Wednesday morning.  The new stadium is on schedule to be finished by the end of 2020.  The Lafayette Aviators (Summer Collegiate, Prospect League) will play their 2020 home games at Purdue’s Alexander Field.  Their first season at the new Loeb Stadium will start in the spring of 2021.  Read more and watch video here.

Despite Higher Cost, No Changes to Plans for New Lafayette Ballpark

Lafayette’s (IN) mayor doesn’t plan major changes to plans for a new city baseball stadium even though construction bids totaled nearly $4 million more than expected.  The new 2,500-seat stadium would be built at the same site as the current Loeb Stadium in Columbian Park southeast of downtown Lafayette.  Read more here.

 

City Putting Final Design Touches on Loeb Stadium Rebuild

The city of Lafayette (IN) is wrapping up the final design details of the full renovation of Loeb Stadium, home of the Lafayette Aviators (Summer Collegiate, Prospect League).  The $17 million project is expected to be completed in time for the 2021 season.  Read more here.

Aviators Get New Ownership

Milwaukee (WI)-based MKE Sports and Entertainment has sold the Lafayette Aviators (Summer Collegiate, Prospect League) to a trio of Purdue graduates, including Bill Davidson, CEO of National Sports Services, Brent Gutwein, co-founder of Granite Student Living, and Stuart Gutwein, a Lafayette attorney.  Read more here.

Loeb Stadium Getting Multi-Purpose Redesign Makeover

Loeb Stadium, home of the Lafayette Aviators (Summer Collegiate, Prospect League), is being redesigned as part of the Five Points area of Lafayette (IN) to accommodate soccer, concerts and other events.   The project will include a few key changes to the stadium, including a new entrance off Main and Wallace, synthetic turf for the field, and a reduction of capacity to 1,900, but with added suites.  Read more here.

Where to Put New Home Plate in Lafayette?

Where’s home plate in Lafayette’s (IN) new baseball stadium?  There’s your No. 1 topic from the two public input meetings as the city moves forward with a new facility in Columbian Park to replace the aging Loeb Stadium.  Read more here.

Talking New Ballpark Plan in Lafayette

The first of two public meetings regarding the city of Lafayette’s (IN) new baseball stadium was held Tuesday night. The city plans to demolish Loeb Stadium and build a new facility on the same location inside Columbian Park before the 2019 baseball season.  Read more here.

Lafayette to Demolish Loeb Stadium, Build New Park

The city of Lafayette (IN) plans to demolish 80-year-old Loeb Stadium and replace it with a new ballpark.  The estimated $10 million facility would be designed by the same architect that designed the new ballpark in Kokomo (IN).   Read more here.  This makes sense, of course, as the Kokomo Jackrabbits and Lafayette

Fans Select Aviators Logo

PRESS RELEASE – The fans of the Lafayette Aviators have once again spoken and strongly signaled their desire to be represented by the mustached jacketed aviator as represented in the team’s new logo.

It’s the ‘Lafayette Aviators’

The name of the new summer collegiate Prospect League franchise in Lafayette (IN) will be known as the Lafayette Aviators.  Three logo options were introduced today on social media to solicit fan opinions before announcing a winner later this month.  Read more here.  View press release here.  Thanks to Mark Tobin for the heads up.

Lafayette Unveils Name-the-Team Finalists

Milwaukee-based MKE Sports and Entertainment has released the five finalists for new summer collegiate Prospect League franchise in Lafayette (IN). The names include: Generals, Legends, Ax Men, Lightning, and Aviators. Read more here.  Fans can vote here for their favorite team name.  Thanks to Mark Tobin for the heads up.

Looking forward to announcing team name in Dec with assistance from Mayor Roswarski's Youth Council @City_Lafayette pic.twitter.com/HNC0LQjHWy

— Lafayette Baseball (@Lafayette_BSB) November 25, 2015

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Zimmerman to Pitch Ballpark Oct. 27

Mike Zimmerman is pursuing plans for an indoor sports complex and baseball stadium at The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin (WI) that would help spur up to $130 million in surrounding mixed-use development.  Read more here.  Because Zimmerman already operates two summer collegiate Prospect League franchises, and had an apparent falling out with the indy pro Frontier League, we assume the proposed ballpark would house a Prospect League team.

Lafayette Makes It Official: Prospect League Franchise Coming to Loeb

Lafayette (IN) city leaders made it official Tuesday: a summer collegiate Prospect League baseball team will call Columbian Park’s Loeb Stadium home, starting next summer.  Success could mean discussions about a new ballpark in a few years, according to Mayor Tony Roswarski.  Read more here.

Alcohol Sales Approved for Loeb Stadium

The Lafayette (IN) parks board has approved restricted sales of alcohol in Loeb Stadium as part of a deal to bring a summer collegiate Prospect League franchise to town led by MKE Sports and Entertainment. Read more here.  Watch news report here.

MKE Sports Targeting Lafayette

City of Lafayette (IN) officials are reportedly in talks with MKE Sports and Entertainment to bring a summer collegiate Prospect League franchise to Loeb Stadium as early as next summer.  Read more and watch news report here.  Read about vote to sell beer at Loeb here.

Man Tries Hand at Crowdfunding to Bring Team to Loeb Stadium

Aaron Parrish is attempting to raise money via online crowdfunding to bring a summer collegiate Prospect League team he’s called the “Conductors” to Loeb Stadium in Lafayette (IN).  The money would be used for start-up costs and covering the circuit’s $175,000 franchise fee.  Parrish is currently working alone but is open to creating an ownership group.  Read more here.