Nashville Outlaws
Encyclopedia
The Nashville Outlaws are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League
. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee
, and are named for the city's association with country music
, particularly the outlaw country
genre which was popular during the late 1960s and 1970s. The team plays its home games at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium
which opened in 1991 and holds 1,500 spectators. The Outlaws were established in 2010 as an expansion team
of the Prospect League.
have been traced back to as far as 1860. In 1885, the Nashville Americans
became the city's first professional baseball team as a charter member of the Southern League
. Since then, Nashville has been represented by the Blues
, Tigers
, Seraphs
, Centennials
, Vols
, Sounds
, and Xpress
minor league
teams. The Vanderbilt Commodores
were the city's first collegiate baseball
team, beginning play in 1886. Belmont University
, Lipscomb University
, and Trevecca Nazarene University
also operate collegiate programs in the city. The Nashville Outlaws were created in 2010 as an expansion team
of the Prospect League
.
The franchise was founded by three former Nashville Sounds
executives: Brandon Vonderharr, Jason Bennett, and Chris Snyder. For the 2011 season, The Outlaws have a new home, Lipscomb University
's Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium
, as well as new management in the form of general manager Luke Collier, and three new members of management: Jared Swantner, Charlyn Ursell, and Adam Boone. The Outlaws are named for the city's association with country music
, particularly the outlaw country
genre which was popular during the late 1960s and 1970s.
The Outlaws played their first game, a 10 to 3 loss, against the Terre Haute Rex
on the road at Sycamore Stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana
, on June 4, 2010. After three more games on the road, the Outlaws played their first home game at Vanderbilt University
's Hawkins Field
on June 8. The home team defeated the Springfield Sliders
by a score of 4 to 2. At the end of the first half of the season, the Outlaws were in third place in the Central Division with a 14–14 record. Three Nashville players were selected to play on the East Team in the 2010 Prospect League All-Star Game: pitcher
s Matt Fitton and Navery Moore and catcher
Doug Joyce. The game was played to a 9-inning 3–3 tie.
Going into the next-to-last night of the season and scheduled for a doubleheader
against Terre Haute, the Outlaws were tied with that team for first in the division. Nashville won both games and clinched the second-half pennant. The Outlaws finished the second half in first place with a record of 16 wins and 10 losses. They completed the season with an overall record of 30–24 (.556), good for second place in the division and fourth in the league. More importantly, their second-half win earned the team a spot in the league championship playoffs. However, Nashville was defeated by the Danville Dans
in the first round, 4–2, eliminating them from the playoffs.
Four Nashville players were awarded accolades for their performance during the Outlaws' inaugural season. First baseman
Kevin Smith was named to the Prospect League's First Team All-Star Team. Third baseman
Greg Bachman, shortstop
Sam Dove, and left-handed relief pitcher
Matt Fitton were named to the Second Team All-Star Team.
Prospect League
The Prospect League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. Players are not paid so as to maintain their college eligibility...
. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, and are named for the city's association with country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, particularly the outlaw country
Outlaw country
Outlaw country is a subgenre of country music, most popular during the late 1960s and the 1970s , sometimes referred to as the outlaw movement or simply outlaw music...
genre which was popular during the late 1960s and 1970s. The team plays its home games at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium
Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium
Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium is a baseball venue located in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. It is home to the Lipscomb Bisons college baseball team of the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Sun Conference and the Nashville Outlaws of the collegiate summer Prospect League. The facility has a...
which opened in 1991 and holds 1,500 spectators. The Outlaws were established in 2010 as an expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
of the Prospect League.
Team history
Baseball's origins in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
have been traced back to as far as 1860. In 1885, the Nashville Americans
Nashville Americans
The Nashville Americans were a minor league baseball team of the Southern League from 1885 to 1886. The team was one of eight charter members of the newly formed league. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee and played home games at Athletic Park, which was opened in 1885...
became the city's first professional baseball team as a charter member of the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
. Since then, Nashville has been represented by the Blues
Nashville Blues
The Nashville Blues were a minor league baseball team of the Southern League in 1887. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee and played home games at Athletic Park, which was opened in 1885. Preceded by the Nashville Americans, the Blues were Nashville's second professional baseball team...
, Tigers
Nashville Tigers
The Nashville Tigers were a minor league baseball team of the Southern League from 1893 to 1894. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee and played home games at Athletic Park, which was opened in 1885. Preceded by the Nashville Blues, the Tigers were Nashville's third professional baseball team...
, Seraphs
Nashville Seraphs
The Nashville Seraphs were a minor league baseball team of the Southern League in 1895. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee and played home games at Athletic Park, which was opened in 1885. Preceded by the Nashville Tigers, the Seraphs were Nashville's fourth professional baseball team...
, Centennials
Nashville Centennials
The Nashville Centennials were a minor league baseball team of the Class C Central League in 1897. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee and played home games at Athletic Park, which was opened in 1885. Preceded by the Nashville Seraphs, the Centennials were Nashville's fifth professional...
, Vols
Nashville Vols
The Nashville Vols were a minor league baseball team based in Nashville, Tennessee from 1901 to 1963; the team was inactive in 1962. Known as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they were officially named the Nashville Volunteers in 1908 for the state's nickname, The...
, Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
, and Xpress
Nashville Xpress
The Nashville Xpress were a minor league baseball team of the Southern League from 1993 to 1994. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee and played home games at Herschel Greer Stadium, which opened in 1978...
minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
teams. The Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt Commodores baseball
The Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team represents Vanderbilt University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Conference...
were the city's first collegiate baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
team, beginning play in 1886. Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
, Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike on the east...
, and Trevecca Nazarene University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Trevecca Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the "Pentecostal Literary and Bible Training School"...
also operate collegiate programs in the city. The Nashville Outlaws were created in 2010 as an expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
of the Prospect League
Prospect League
The Prospect League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. Players are not paid so as to maintain their college eligibility...
.
The franchise was founded by three former Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
executives: Brandon Vonderharr, Jason Bennett, and Chris Snyder. For the 2011 season, The Outlaws have a new home, Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike on the east...
's Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium
Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium
Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium is a baseball venue located in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. It is home to the Lipscomb Bisons college baseball team of the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Sun Conference and the Nashville Outlaws of the collegiate summer Prospect League. The facility has a...
, as well as new management in the form of general manager Luke Collier, and three new members of management: Jared Swantner, Charlyn Ursell, and Adam Boone. The Outlaws are named for the city's association with country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, particularly the outlaw country
Outlaw country
Outlaw country is a subgenre of country music, most popular during the late 1960s and the 1970s , sometimes referred to as the outlaw movement or simply outlaw music...
genre which was popular during the late 1960s and 1970s.
The Outlaws played their first game, a 10 to 3 loss, against the Terre Haute Rex
Terre Haute Rex
The Terre Haute Rex are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Terre Haute, Indiana. They are a member of the summer collegiate Prospect League....
on the road at Sycamore Stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, on June 4, 2010. After three more games on the road, the Outlaws played their first home game at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
's Hawkins Field
Hawkins Field
Hawkins Field is a baseball stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. It is the home field of the Vanderbilt Commodores college baseball team. The stadium opened in 2002 adjacent to Vanderbilt Stadium and Memorial Gymnasium and holds 3,700 people...
on June 8. The home team defeated the Springfield Sliders
Springfield Sliders
The Springfield Sliders are a collegiate summer league baseball team in the Prospect League. They play at Robin Roberts Field at Lanphier Park and are based in the city of Springfield, Illinois. The Sliders formed in November 2007 and were an expansion franchise for the 2008 season...
by a score of 4 to 2. At the end of the first half of the season, the Outlaws were in third place in the Central Division with a 14–14 record. Three Nashville players were selected to play on the East Team in the 2010 Prospect League All-Star Game: pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
s Matt Fitton and Navery Moore and catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Doug Joyce. The game was played to a 9-inning 3–3 tie.
Going into the next-to-last night of the season and scheduled for a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against Terre Haute, the Outlaws were tied with that team for first in the division. Nashville won both games and clinched the second-half pennant. The Outlaws finished the second half in first place with a record of 16 wins and 10 losses. They completed the season with an overall record of 30–24 (.556), good for second place in the division and fourth in the league. More importantly, their second-half win earned the team a spot in the league championship playoffs. However, Nashville was defeated by the Danville Dans
Danville Dans
The Danville Dans are a collegiate summer league baseball team located in Danville, Illinois. The team plays in the Prospect League, which their former league, the NCAA sanctioned Central Illinois Collegiate League, was absorbed into....
in the first round, 4–2, eliminating them from the playoffs.
Four Nashville players were awarded accolades for their performance during the Outlaws' inaugural season. First baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Kevin Smith was named to the Prospect League's First Team All-Star Team. Third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Greg Bachman, shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Sam Dove, and left-handed relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Matt Fitton were named to the Second Team All-Star Team.
Roster
The Outlaws' roster consists of players who have completed at least one year of college and who have remaining college eligibility.| Nashville Outlaws roster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches/Other | |||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders Outfielders |
Manager Coaches/ Roster updated May 26, 2010 Coaching staff |
||