Lafayette Aviators
Summer collegiate baseball team in Lafayette, Indiana.
The Lafayette Aviators are a summer collegiate baseball team based in Lafayette, Indiana, and compete in the Eastern Conference of the Prospect League. They play their home games at Loeb Stadium in Columbian Park, a venue that first opened in May 2021. The team reached the Prospect League championship series in 2017 but fell to the Butler BlueSox in a best-of-three series.
The franchise began as the Springfield Sliders in Springfield, Illinois, during the 2015 season. The team was moved to Lafayette before the 2016 season by its ownership group, citing a desire to relocate within the league’s Midwestern footprint. A separate Jamestown Jammers franchise had already been established in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, which was closer to Jamestown, New York.
In 2018, the team was sold to National Sports Services through its subsidiary, Lafayette Family Entertainment LLC. The Aviators were scheduled to play their 2020 season at Purdue University’s Alexander Field while the original Loeb Stadium was demolished and replaced, but the season was suspended when Purdue closed its athletic facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finally welcomed spectators to its season opener at the new Loeb Stadium on June 1, 2021.
- League
- Prospect League (Eastern Conference – Northeast Division)
- Home field
- Loeb Stadium, Columbian Park, Lafayette, Indiana
- Stadium opened
- May 2021
- First championship
- None (2017 Prospect League champion was Butler BlueSox)
- Original location
- Springfield, Illinois (as Springfield Sliders, 2015)
- Ownership (2018–present)
- National Sports Services, through Lafayette Family Entertainment LLC
Quick Facts
- League
- Prospect League
- Division
- Eastern Conference – Northeast Division
- Location
- Lafayette, Indiana
- Stadium
- Loeb Stadium
- Founded
- 2015
- League Champs
- 1 (2017)
- Division Champs
- 4 (2017, 2021, 2025, 2026)
- Former Names
- Jamestown Jammers (2015)
- Former Ballparks
- Loeb Stadium (1940) (2016–2019) / Russell Diethrick Park (2015)
- Owner
- National Sports Services
- General Manager
- Danny Shingleton
- Manager
- Jamie Sailors
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The franchise began as the Springfield Sliders in Springfield, Illinois, during the 2015 season. The team was moved to Lafayette for the 2016 season by its ownership group, citing a desire to relocate within the league's Midwestern footprint. A separate Jamestown Jammers franchise already existed in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, which was closer to Central New York. Prior to the 2018 season, the team was sold to National Sports Services through its subsidiary, Lafayette Family Entertainment LLC.
Reader's Guide
The Lafayette Aviators represent a notable example of franchise relocation within summer collegiate baseball, moving from Jamestown, New York, to Lafayette, Indiana, to better align with the Prospect League's Midwestern geography. Their 2017 championship victory over the Butler BlueSox marked their first league title. The team's transition to a new stadium, Loeb Stadium, which opened in May 2021, was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing them to play at Purdue University's Alexander Field in 2020 before that season was canceled. The Aviators continue to compete in the Prospect League's Eastern Conference – Northeast Division alongside the Champion City Half Trax, Chillicothe Paints, Johnstown Mill Rats, and Kokomo Creek Chubs. Their ownership change in 2018 to National Sports Services through Lafayette Family Entertainment LLC reflects ongoing organizational development.
Did You Know?
- The Aviators franchise originally operated as the Springfield Sliders in Springfield, Illinois, during the 2015 season.
- The team reached the Prospect League championship series in 2017 but lost to the Butler BlueSox in a best-of-3 series.
- The Aviators' home stadium, Loeb Stadium, opened in May 2021.
- The 2020 season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic after Purdue University closed its athletic facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lafayette Aviators?
The Lafayette Aviators are a summer collegiate baseball team based in Lafayette, Indiana, that competes in the Prospect League's Eastern Conference, Northeast Division. They field college players during the summer as part of the independent Prospect League circuit.
Where do the Lafayette Aviators play their home games?
The team hosts its home schedule at Loeb Stadium, located in Columbian Park in Lafayette, Indiana. The ballpark opened in May 2021, giving the franchise a newer facility for its summer season.
What happened to the Springfield Sliders?
The franchise first appeared as the Springfield Sliders in Springfield, Illinois, during the 2015 Prospect League season. Ownership relocated the club to Lafayette, Indiana, ahead of the 2016 campaign, and it has been known as the Aviators ever since.
Have the Lafayette Aviators ever won a Prospect League championship?
No—the closest the team has come was the 2017 championship series, in which they were eliminated by the Butler BlueSox in a best-of-three matchup. As of the available record, the franchise has not captured a league title.
Who owns the Lafayette Aviators?
Since 2018, the team has been operated by National Sports Services through its subsidiary Lafayette Family Entertainment LLC. That ownership group handles the franchise's front-office and day-to-day business operations.
More in Prospect League teams 1-24
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