The Frontier League announced that they will be expanding to Mississippi in 2025.
With the Double A Mississippi Braves moving to Georgia at the end of the season, Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi has opened up for another team to call the park home.
The expansion team will be the 17th team in the league as of right now.
This announcement has left many questions about the future of the league. Mississippi is well outside of the geographical region that the Frontier League is known for; Thus prompting many people to wonder when and where an 18th team will be announced.
Another question mark will be travel and the league’s divisional set up. Pearl is a 24 hour drive from the northern most team (Quebec) and still at a minimum over 7 hours away from the closest current Frontier League team.
Commissoner Steve Tahsler was quoted in the Clarion Ledger from today’s press conference giving some hints as to what is to come.
The league is currently contested by 16 teams including three in Canada, who are evenly divided into two divisions. The Mississippi team will be the league’s 17th team with a yet-unannounced 18th team planned for 2025.
Tahsler said with 18 teams in the league for 2025, there will be a new scheduling format and the league will be split into four divisions, instead of the current two-division model.
The Mississippi team will be a part of the Western Division, which will include the St. Louis team and three teams from the Chicago area.
Officials said the 18th team will be announced next week, and will also be in a Southern city. It will be a part of the Eastern Division. The Eastern and Western Divisions will play on a regular basis with a rotating schedule that will bring every team in the league to every city, even the ones as far away as Canada, every two years.
“Scheduling will be similar to what you see for SEC football right now,” Tahsler said.
Speculation would be that Alabama could also be a fit for the Frontier League. There are former minor league stadiums in Mobile and Hoover that are not being used for that purpose now.
The official league announcement can be read below.
PEARL, MS – The Frontier League is excited to announce its newest expansion team, which will be located in Pearl, Mississippi.
After yet another record-breaking season, the league will be expanding to 17 teams. Mississippi’s New Frontier League Team will be playing its games at Trustmark Park, the former home of the Mississippi Braves. The opportunity for expansion came into play when the M-Braves, who currently serve as the double-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, announced that they would be relocating to Columbus, Georgia after the 2024 season. They had been in Pearl since 2005.
The team will be owned by Joseph Eng, who also owns the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association. Eng is an experienced technology executive and member of the executive team at Billtrust, where he is responsible for product and technology for the business. He has held similar roles at TravelClick, a travel hospitality data and software provider, JetBlue Airways, and SWIFT, the worldwide messaging network for the financial industry. TBH Sports & Entertainment will manage the team on behalf of Mr. Eng.
2025 will be the second straight year of expansion for the Frontier League, after adding New England for the 2024 season. “The entire Frontier League is excited to welcome Trustmark Park and Pearl for our 2025 season,” said Commissioner Steve Tahsler. “Mississippi has an outstanding baseball tradition, and we are honored to add the Frontier League as an option for players and fans.”
17 teams marks a new high for the Frontier League, surpassing several seasons where the league supported 16 teams. The league is also set to announce an 18th team during the third week of September.
Mississippi’s New Frontier League Team, its key members, and fans can vote on the team’s new name between September 9th and September 25th via Major League Baseball’s OnDeck platform. Potential team names are:
1. Mississippi Mud Monsters
2. Mississippi Grits
3. Mississippi Soul Shakers
Keep up with updates and cast your vote on the Frontier League’s newest team on its new website!
