After taking last year off, the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks will return to the field this summer, but they won't be playing in Brandon at Andrews Field. A member of the Expedition League, Brandon never played a game last season because of border restrictions and when an attempt to find a home south of the border came up short, they threw in the towel on the season.
And with border restrictions still in place, Brandon once again attempted to find a home south of the border so they could get back on the field and this time, management was able to secure a home field. The Whiskey Jacks will play their home games at Harold Kraft Memorial Field, home of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, a team in NCAA Division 1 Western Athletic Conference.
Ray Walker is the general manager of the Whiskey Jacks and he is glad the team will be getting back on the field, but it's unfortunate that they won't be at their true home in Brandon.
"It was just a heartbreaking decision for us," said Walker. "We know how hard we have worked to put together a solid team this year and we were looking forward to playing at Andrews Field in front of our home fans. The players will now have to energize us from about two hours south."
Five Canadians will play on this year's team, one of which is William Hlady of Dauphin. Will previously played collegiately at Valley City State University. Wheat City's 64 game season begins on May 25 with the league championship series taking place in August.
The last time Wheat City played a game was in the 2019 season when they went 12-52 and that saw them finish at the bottom of the Lewis Division. But with the season just more than a month away from beginning, Walker believes this season will be different for a team that is preparing for its second season on the field and third in the league.
"Coach Laughlin has done a tremendous job at recruiting this off-season," said Walker. "We have a great pitching staff and the position players we have are some of the best in the NCAA. If there was ever a year that we could make a run for it, this would be the year."
Walker says this year's Whiskey Jacks roster features more Division 1 talent than they ever had. And when they do hit the field on Tuesday, May 25 for their first game against the Souris Valley Sabre Dogs, they will have Zoe HIcks to turn to.
The Division 1 softball player that plays with Louisiana State University is the first female to sign a player contract in Expedition League history. Hicks says it was never about making history, she just wants to play at the top level possible.
