Grand Forks Finds a New Summer Pastime With the Spitfires

Photo Courtesy of the Grand Forks Spitfires

The first season of the Grand Forks Spitfires wasn’t about just fielding a competitive softball team. It was about introducing the city to something it had never quite experienced before: summer collegiate softball.

As the first independent standalone team in Northwoods League Softball, the Spitfires entered their inaugural campaign to a skeptical community spurned by previous summer collegiate ball clubs in the past.

The team’s name honors the historic Spitfire World War II fighter aircraft, the local Air Force Base, and the UND Aerospace program. It beat out other finalists like the Flying Aces, Spudnikes, Sweet Beets, Voodoo, and Wingnuts.

The Northwoods League Softball is composed of six teams in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. All but the Spiritfires operate in conjunction with a Northwoods League baseball team. However, it helped that the city had its own softball stadium.

The University of North Dakota’s Albrecht Field opened its state-of-the-art softball-only venue in 2024.  It has grandstand capacity for 500, a turf field, LED lighting, and a video scoreboard.  The fancy digs gave the Spitfires a chance to fill a summer entertainment gap while tapping into the growing popularity of women’s sports.

“We're the first ones to really start a softball team truly by ourselves”, said Roberto Lemus, Spitfires GM. “We chose Grand Forks because it's a market that, one, is big enough to do what we're trying to do, and the University of North Dakota as well; they just built a fantastic facility in Albrecht Field.”

Photo Courtesy of the Grand Forks Spitfires

His goal is to give fans a genuine softball experience while creating the energy and antics that are common in minor league baseball. There are between-inning activities, promotions, and all-you-can-eat food and waitstaff, and plenty of other events happening around the game.

One of those promotional events is called “Home Run for Roots”. When a Spitfires player hits a home run, a tree is planted somewhere in the community. Fans nominate a public space or their own yard, along with hosting a tree-planting party.

A softball game also takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to play due to the 7-inning time frame, about 30 minutes less than their baseball counterparts. The seven-inning format also offered a natural advantage for families, especially those with young children with short attention spans. Lemus enjoyed the shorter game times.

“[It provides] fans and families to come out to the ballpark, have a good time, stay out for most of the game without having to sacrifice the kids' bedtime, or different things out there as well.”

Opening night drew a crowd of 900 people, many of whom only a few months earlier were somewhat confused about what type of team was playing in town. Lemus fielded a few interesting questions from sponsors and season ticket holders.

“I remember the first couple of times that I was out here trying to start selling sponsorships and ticket sales and all those different things, and I would tell people, I was like, we're a women's softball team. The first question I would get is like, " Oh, okay, so are you a youth baseball team, or a youth softball team, or a Little League softball team.”

By the end of the 40-game season in late July, the Spitfires witnessed an average of 650-700 fans per game during the last couple of weeks, with coverage from the Grand Forks Herald and local TV and radio stations. There was even a partnership with the Chambers of Commerce and community partners.

One thing that might have gone unnoticed by the fans was that the club only carried 19 players, including a pitching staff of four women, for the entire season. In comparison, a baseball team in the league could carry around 60 players.

Photo Courtesy of the Grand Forks Spitfires

Lemus is preparing for year two of the team and, with a true off-season beginning, renewing season-ticket and multi-game-plan memberships, with public ticket sales scheduled to follow. Theme nights, sponsorships, player recruitment and coaching plans are already being developed.

“It's a growing league, and there are so many positives to it, while at the same time, it's all about the fun,” Lemus added. “I love what the Savannah Bananas are doing and all their antics, but we still stay true to the game. So, you can still enjoy being a true baseball or true softball fan while also enjoying all the in-game antics and all the fun in between.”

The NWL is hoping to expand its softball league with potential markets outside of North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. However, Grand Forks might have been the ideal test market for a ball club. If it’s the new summer pastime, the Spitfires will be part of that tradition for the foreseeable future.

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Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel. Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com