2024 Prospect League season
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(Playoffs: August 1 – August 8)
| 2024 Prospect League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Prospect League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | May 28 – July 31 (Playoffs: August 1 – August 8) |
| Number of games | 60 (540 games in total) |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Northeast Division | |
| League champions | Chillicothe Paints |
| Central Division | |
| League champions | Terre Haute Rex |
| Northwest Division | |
| League champions | Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp |
| South Division | |
| League champions | Thrillville Thrillbillies |
| Prospect League Championship | |
| Champions | Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp |
| Runners-up | Terre Haute Rex |
| Finals MVP | Jared Herzog |
The 2024 Prospect League season was the 15th season of collegiate summer baseball in the Prospect League, a collegiate summer baseball league in the Midwestern United States, since its creation in June 2009. There are 18 Prospect League teams, split evenly between Eastern and Western Conferences. These conferences are then split up between the Northeast, Central, Northwest, and South divisions.
The Chillicothe Paints entered the season as two-time defending champions, having defeated the Quincy Gems, two games to one, in the league's 2023 championship series.[1]
Despite reaching the Prospect League Championship in 2023, the Quincy Gems announced that they would no longer play at QU Stadium and would not return for the 2024 season. The Gems would seek relocation for any potential future seasons.[2][3]
After the Gems announced they would not play in 2024, the league brought in two new teams for the season, the Dubois County Bombers and the Full Count Rhythm.[4][5] For the Bombers, it would be their second stint in the league with the first one being from 2009 to 2012.
The 18 teams in the league are split evenly between two conferences Eastern and Western. These two conferences are then split up into four divisions, Northeast, Central, Northwest, and South.
The season will be played with a 60-game schedule, which is split between two halves, with the first half ending on June 30 and the second half ending on July 31. The first-half winners in each division will host the second-half winners in a one-game divisional championship round. (If the same team wins both halves, the team with the next-best second-half record makes the playoffs).[6]
Regular season standings
First half standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Chillicothe Paints | 29 | 19 | 10 | .655 | -- |
| 2 | Lafayette Aviators | 27 | 14 | 13 | .519 | 4.0 |
| 3 | x – Johnstown Mill Rats | 29 | 13 | 16 | .448 | 6.0 |
| 4 | Champion City Kings | 29 | 7 | 22 | .241 | 12.0 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – Danville Dans | 30 | 17 | 13 | .567 | -- |
| 2 | y – Terre Haute Rex | 28 | 15 | 13 | .536 | 1.0 |
| 3 | Normal CornBelters | 29 | 14 | 15 | .483 | 2.5 |
| 4 | Full Count Rhythm | 28 | 12 | 16 | .429 | 4.0 |
| 5 | Dubois County Bombers | 29 | 12 | 17 | .414 | 4.5 |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp | 26 | 17 | 9 | .654 | -- |
| 2 | x – Clinton LumberKings | 26 | 15 | 11 | .577 | 2.0 |
| 3 | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 26 | 8 | 18 | .308 | 9.0 |
| 4 | Burlington Bees | 29 | 6 | 23 | .207 | 12.5 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – Thrillville Thrillbillies | 27 | 21 | 6 | .778 | -- |
| 2 | Jackson Rockabillys | 27 | 17 | 10 | .630 | 4.0 |
| 3 | O'Fallon Hoots | 28 | 17 | 11 | .607 | 4.5 |
| 4 | Alton River Dragons | 26 | 13 | 13 | .500 | 7.5 |
| 5 | y – Cape Catfish | 29 | 14 | 15 | .483 | 8.0 |
Second half standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Chillicothe Paints | 27 | 17 | 10 | .630 | -- |
| 2 | x – Johnstown Mill Rats | 27 | 13 | 14 | .481 | 4.0 |
| 3 | Lafayette Aviators | 29 | 12 | 17 | .414 | 6.0 |
| 4 | Champion City Kings | 27 | 11 | 16 | .407 | 6.0 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Terre Haute Rex | 27 | 17 | 10 | .630 | -- |
| 2 | Normal CornBelters | 26 | 14 | 12 | .538 | 2.5 |
| 3 | x – Danville Dans | 26 | 13 | 13 | .500 | 3.5 |
| 4 | Full Count Rhythm | 27 | 13 | 14 | .481 | 4.0 |
| 5 | Dubois County Bombers | 25 | 7 | 18 | .280 | 9.0 |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – Clinton LumberKings | 29 | 19 | 10 | .655 | -- |
| 2 | y – Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp | 30 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 1.5 |
| 3 | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 29 | 16 | 13 | .552 | 3.0 |
| 4 | Burlington Bees | 27 | 11 | 16 | .407 | 7.0 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Cape Catfish | 27 | 17 | 10 | .630 | -- |
| 2 | Jackson Rockabillys | 28 | 16 | 12 | .571 | 1.5 |
| 3 | O'Fallon Hoots | 28 | 12 | 16 | .429 | 5.5 |
| 4 | Alton River Dragons | 27 | 11 | 16 | .407 | 6.0 |
| 5 | x – Thrillville Thrillbillies | 28 | 10 | 18 | .357 | 7.5 |
Full season standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Chillicothe Paints | 56 | 36 | 20 | .643 | -- |
| 2 | Lafayette Aviators | 56 | 26 | 30 | .464 | 10.0 |
| 3 | x – Johnstown Mill Rats | 56 | 26 | 30 | .464 | 10.0 |
| 4 | Champion City Kings | 56 | 18 | 38 | .321 | 18.0 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Terre Haute Rex | 55 | 32 | 23 | .582 | -- |
| 2 | x – Danville Dans | 56 | 30 | 26 | .536 | 2.5 |
| 3 | Normal CornBelters | 55 | 28 | 27 | .509 | 4.0 |
| 4 | Full Count Rhythm | 55 | 25 | 30 | .455 | 7.0 |
| 5 | Dubois County Bombers | 54 | 19 | 35 | .352 | 12.5 |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp | 56 | 35 | 21 | .625 | -- |
| 2 | x – Clinton LumberKings | 55 | 34 | 21 | .618 | 0.5 |
| 3 | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 55 | 24 | 31 | .436 | 10.5 |
| 4 | Burlington Bees | 56 | 17 | 39 | .304 | 18.0 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson Rockabillys | 55 | 33 | 22 | .600 | -- |
| 2 | x – Thrillville Thrillbillies | 55 | 31 | 24 | .564 | 2.0 |
| 3 | y – Cape Catfish | 56 | 31 | 25 | .554 | 2.5 |
| 4 | O'Fallon Hoots | 56 | 29 | 27 | .518 | 4.5 |
| 5 | Alton River Dragons | 53 | 24 | 29 | .453 | 8.0 |
- y – Clinched division
- x – Clinched playoff spot
Statistical leaders
Hitting
| Stat | Player | Team | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR | Gabe Wright, Shane Lewis | Terre Haute Rex, Lafayette Aviators | 9 |
| AVG | Alec Gonzalez | Lafayette Aviators | .400 |
| RBIs | Jaison Andujar | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 51 |
| SB | Lane Crowden, Jimmy Koza | Cape Catfish, Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 46 |
Pitching
| Stat | Player | Team | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| W | Joshua Mauney, Trey Watson | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes, Jackson Rockabillys | 6 |
| ERA | Trey Watson | Jackson Rockabillys | 3.21 |
| SO | Gunnar Brown | Danville Dans | 70 |
| SV | Jaxson Lucas | Jackson Rockabillys | 13 |
Awards
All-star selections
Eastern Conference
|
Western Conference
|
End of year awards
| Award[8] | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Eric Colaco | Chillicothe Paints |
| Pro Prospect of the Year | Eric Colaco | Chillicothe Paints |
| Pitcher of the Year | Ean DiPasquale | Clinton LumberKings |
| Relief Pitcher of the Year | Jaxson Lucas | Jackson Rockabillys |
| Manager of the Year | John Jakiemiec | Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp |
| Social Media of the Year | N/A | Dubois County Bombers |
| Broadcaster of the Year | Jacob Wise | Chillicothe Paints |
| Ballpark Experience of the Year | Marion Stadium | Thrillville Thrillbillies |
| General Manager of the Year | Bryan Wickline | Chillicothe Paints |
| Organization of the Year | N/A | O'Fallon Hoots |