Beloit Sky Carp

History

The Beloit Sky Carp are a High-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, competing in the Midwest League. Based in Beloit, Wisconsin, the team plays at ABC Supply Stadium, having moved there in August 2021 after spending nearly four decades at Harry C. Pohlman Field, which opened in 1982. The franchise began as the Beloit Brewers in 1982, an expansion team in the Class A Midwest League, and served as a Milwaukee Brewers farm club through 2004. In 1995, the team rebranded as the Beloit Snappers, a name inspired by local turtle-related landmarks such as Turtle Creek, the town of Turtle, and turtle-shaped burial mounds near Beloit College. The Snappers switched to the Minnesota Twins farm system in 2005. Following the end of their affiliation with the Brewers, efforts to build a new stadium similar to those of the Rockford RiverHawks or Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were pursued. One proposal involved a site near Janesville, which might have led to a name change reflecting a broader Rock County audience, but no new stadium materialized. Instead, improvements were made to Pohlman Field, including a complete field redo and concrete concourse repairs. After the 2012 season, the city allocated $100,000 to raise and level the outfield with the infield and install a new sprinkler system. In September 2018, the team entered a sale process to a group led by Quint Studer, who planned a downtown ballpark. The sale was canceled in May 2020 due to uncertainty around the Professional Baseball Agreement, but Studer’s group retained operating rights for 2020 and continued stadium plans. Construction on ABC Supply Stadium began on June 15, 2020. The Snappers opened the 2021 season at Pohlman Field before debuting at the new stadium on August 3. That same year, the team was placed in the newly formed High-A Central, which reverted to the Midwest League name in 2022. A planned rebrand for 2021, including a new name from a fan contest and a new mascot, was postponed to 2022. In November 2021, the team became the Beloit Sky Carp, taking the name from a slang term for geese. In July 2022, the mascot Poopsie was introduced, named after a term of endearment. Notable alumni include Prince Fielder, Tony Gwynn Jr., Danny Valencia, Jim Morris, Greg Vaughn, Geoff Jenkins, Jeff D’Amico, Ron Belliard, Yovani Gallardo, Matt Garza, and Kevin Slowey. Paul Molitor, who played for the team in 1990, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.