Edmonton Prospects to play part of 2024 at Sherwood Park with new stadium delayed
The rendering of the new stadium in Spruce Grove, Alta., that the Western Canadian Baseball League’s Edmonton Prospects will eventually play in. Photo: Edmonton Prospects.
October 23, 2023
Official Edmonton Prospects News Release
It’s official!
The Edmonton Prospects will once again take to the field for the 2024 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) season.
Team officials informed the WCBL at the Oct. 1 quarterly Governors Meeting that steps were firmly in place to allow the team to field a team for the 2024 Season.
According to team managing partner Patrick Cassidy, the loose end was sealing a deal with Sherwood Park Minor Baseball that would allow use of Centennial Park, Diamond #9 again as a backup for some or all of their schedule in 2024.
With the start date for Myshak Metro Ballpark in Spruce Grove still an uncertainty, the team needed to be sure that a facility to play in the upcoming season was available.
“Sherwood Park has been incredible to deal with the last four years as they have taken the whole metro Edmonton concept to heart and understand that the continued existence and growth of the Edmonton Prospects is a good thing for grassroots baseball not only in the capital city, but throughout the entire metro Edmonton and Northern Alberta Regions,” said Cassidy.
“Construction on Myshak Metro Ballpark is ongoing but several challenges with respect to material deliveries remain a challenge that could affect the opening date for the facility.”
“We remain hopeful that an opening at some point in time during the ‘24 season remains possible but given the scope of the project and some of the remaining challenges, we felt it was critical that a backup plan be put in place.”
Added Cassidy: “We will also be contacting all of our business partners and season ticket holders to discuss our plans moving forward with them, as they have been extremely patient in waiting for this exciting new state-of-the art facility to open.”
Cassidy also noted another worthwhile reason for taking the field again next summer.
“We also felt that having the new Saskatoon Berries team about to play their inaugural season in 2024 that it was really important for the league from a scheduling standpoint to maintain two evenly-distributed divisions,” he said.
STADIUM PROGRESS IN SPRUCE GROVE
Progress continues as crews have now completed the primary services to the building.
The great fall weather has cooperated in allowing the completion of the water, sanitary and storm services while the electrical services are underway with an Oct. 31 completion date targeted.
The next critical steps include foundations and structural steel which are both items that could, for different reasons, hold up or at least severely delay scheduling plans.
On the Ballpark District front the deep services, roads and the storm water management pond are complete and have now been turned over to the City of Spruce Grove.