Lafayette Aviators
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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.
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.
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.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Lafayette Aviators (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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