Excitement is growing for the Carroll Merchants’ seventh season back at historic Merchants Park, with less than a month left before opening day. The Merchants begin their season at home on Tuesday, May 28, against the Chillicothe Mudcats. Chris Whitaker with the Carroll Athletic Association says the Merchants are staying in the M.I.N.K League for the 2024 season, but there have been some changes from last year after the Joplin Outlaws were sold and joined another league.
Merchants Park is celebrating a historic milestone this year as the community celebrates 75 years since its construction, and that will tie into some of their programming at games throughout the year. Whitaker says one of his favorite parts of each season is when new players step on the field for the first time.
Merchants Park is one of the busiest ballparks in the state, as it is the home to the Carroll Tigers, the Kuemper Knights, the Merchants, the 1A and 2A state baseball tournament, and beginning in 2025, the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference’s (ICCAC) conference tournament. Merchants Park is as busy as ever, and Whitaker says it will still be bustling even after the last pitch of the season is thrown.
Those improvements got the green light at the beginning of April when the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Enhance Iowa Board announced Carroll had been selected for a $203,000 Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) Grant to help fund the million-dollar effort. Jared Jones, an assistant coach with Highland Community College in Kansas, will be leading the Merchants during the 2024 season. Whitaker says he will have a roster of talent from around the world playing for him.
The most challenging thing about each season is finding host families for players and staff who need a place to stay. Whitaker says they’ve built a great list of people who welcome Merchants into their homes almost every year, but they are always in need of additional hosts.
Hosts need to have a spare room for a player to stay in and provide food during their stay. Those with questions about hosting can contact the housing committee using the contact details included with this story on our website or visit www.merchantsbaseball.com. Booster club memberships are still available for $125, which include two t-shirts and two punch cards. Admission for individual games is $5.
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https://merchantsbaseball.com/
Jen Malik
712-790-0498
jenmalik12@gmail.com
Tara Thomsen
712-830-7364
tarathomsen@gmail.com
