Badlands Big Sticks: The Newest North Dakota Rival
In the fall of 2022, the Minot Hot Tots were the newest team to join the Northwoods League (NWL). The second started in North Dakota. Now, a year later, the Northwoods League announced yet another North Dakotan addition to the mix, the Badlands Big Sticks.
The Badlands Big Sticks are a summer collegiate baseball club located in Dickinson, North Dakota that was founded in 2018. Originally, they were in the Expedition League.
photo by Gaylon Wm. Parker of the Dickinson Press
After four seasons, the Big Sticks, along with several other clubs, broke away from the Expedition League to begin the Independence League. They played in the Independence League for the past two seasons (2022-2023). Now, in 2024, they will make another move to the Northwoods League, establishing themselves as the third team in the Northwoods League to hail from North Dakota.
“The Larks and Hot Tots are extremely excited to welcome the Big Sticks to the Northwoods League as this is extremely exciting for our fans to have another in-state rival,” Larks and Hot Tots owner, John Bollinger, said. “The energy in the ballpark last year for Bismarck and Minot rivalry games was unmatched and will surely be the same when the Big Sticks come to town.”
The Dakota Dust Up rivalry was a hit in 2023. Fans came out in droves to see the Larks and Hot Tots duke it out on the field, many driving to see their team compete at the opposing ballpark. With the addition of a third team, the front offices of Bismarck, Minot, and Dickinson look forward to seeing fans get even more involved in supporting their teams at games across the state.
“What this does for North Dakota is it brings a big in-state rivalry in the summer collegiate baseball world,” said Big Sticks owner, Dave Oulette. “Competing against the Bismarck Larks, the Minot Hot Tots, and in the future maybe some more teams, just brings things to a more competitive, more rivalry standpoint for all of the fans, the host families, and the people in Bismarck, Minot, and Dickinson.”
Not only do the Big Sticks and the NWL benefit from this move, it also elevates Larks players’ experiences.
photo by the Badlands Big Sticks Facebook page
In past years, Larks players had extensive travel times due to being the furthest west team in the league. In 2023 this subsided a bit with the addition of the Hot Tots to the league and the introduction of several home-and-home series between the two teams.
Now that the Big Sticks are coming into the picture, players will have even more games played in North Dakota, decreasing the amount of travel time and increasing the amount of time that can be spent with host families and enjoying the local community for the summer.
As for the Big Sticks, they are looking forward to everything that comes with being a part of the NWL. In previous years, it was difficult to get the word out about the team beyond the areas where the teams play. However, beginning in 2024, they are looking forward to bringing the Big Sticks to a higher level.
photo by the Badlands Big Sticks Facebook page
“The Northwoods League is the largest league in the country, one of the most sought-after leagues for players to want to come and play in, so I believe we’re going to get some of the higher division one level kids that are going to start coming through the system now,” said Dave Oulette. “There’s some of the ESPN+ video streaming that’s going to be going on that’s going to bring some more attention to the community, just some more excitement for the players and the fans. So there’s a lot of benefits to being part of the Northwoods League.”
photo by the Badlands Big Sticks Facebook page
