Opening day for Jackson’s newest entry into Minor League Baseball isn’t until May 2023, but owners Dennis and Lisa Bastien are trying to get the fans involved early with a ‘Name Your Team Contest.’
The husband-and-wife team, who were joined by Steve DeSalvo, who will serve as the ballclub’s general manager, presented the promotion at the Carl Perkins Civic Center, Monday.
“We’re asking fans across the area, across the region – worldwide, even – to go to playballjackson.com … we’re asking them to enter a team name … we want everybody to a part of this movement and everything we are trying to do,” Dennis Bastien said, “What we’re looking for is the ideal name, the perfect team name, something that is catchy, something that rolls off the tongue, something that is different, something that is unique, identifiable with the area – something to do with west Tennessee (with) Jackson.”
Dennis Bastien said there are three steps to naming the club – 1) visit playballjackson.com, fill out the forms; 2) go to name your team contest, fill out form, why it would be great for Jackson and 3) hit submit or click.
The winner receives a lifetime season ticket, shirt and baseball cap and will arrive at The Ballpark at Jackson for opening night in a limousine.
Dennis and Lisa, who formed an LLC in 2021 – ‘In the Big Inning’ – but the franchise in Jackson will not begin play until May 2023.
Prospect League schedules are finalized during the summer, but the Prospect League did not get the green light to play at The Ballpark at Jackson until December 2021.
The Prospect League – based in Elkhart, Indiana – consists of 16 teams located in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
The Prospect League is recognized as a top summer collegiate wood bat baseball league. The purpose of the league is to: (a) Provide family friendly, affordable baseball entertainment in the communities where our teams are located; (b) Provide a summer baseball program for eligible college players to give them experience using a wood bat in a competitive atmosphere; (c) Provide a venue to allow MLB Scouts to watch collegiate prospects using wood bats against live pitching in competition.
Prospect League teams play approximately 60 games and ends with the Prospect League Championship Series during the second week of August.
