The Bismarck Larks are a collegiate summer baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League. Based in Bismarck, North Dakota, the Larks play their home games at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark.
History On August 28, 2015, it was announced that the Northwoods League had agreed to terms for a team to begin play in Bismarck for 2017. In June 2016, the team launched a name-the-team contest, and the three finalists were Larks, Bullies and Flickertails. The Bismarck Larks name, logo and colors were officially unveiled in October.
On May 30, 2017, the Larks played their first ever game, which was a home game at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark. Facing the Eau Claire Express, the Larks secured a 2-1 walk-off victory. Their final game of their inaugural season was against the La Crosse Loggers on August 13, and Larks won in walk-fashion again, 1-0.
In 2018, the Larks finished with a 37-34 with a lineup featuring future MLB players Jeff Lindgren and Chris Roycroft. The team qualified for the playoffs, but fell to the Duluth Huskies in the North divisional quarterfinal.
In 2020, the Northwoods League temporarily altered their structure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, operating with seven hyper-regional pod divisions. Bismarck was one of the four teams (along with Kenosha, Traverse City, and Kalamazoo) that created temporary teams and operated out of one facility. The Larks competed in the North Dakota Division alongside the Bismarck Bull Moose and Mandan Flickertails. The Larks won the North Dakota Pod Championship. After the season, the Bull Moose and Flickertails were discontinued.
Rivalry The Larks compete for the Railroad to Roosevelt Trophy with the Badlands Big Sticks. The rivalry began in 2024 when the Big Sticks entered the Northwoods League.
Larks in MLB The following is a list of former Bismark Larks to have appeared in Major League Baseball.
Name MLB teams played for Years with Larks MLB Debut Jeff Lindgren Miami Marlins 2017–2018 April 3, 2023 Chris Roycroft St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays 2017–2018 May 7, 2024
Year-by-Year Records +SeasonManagerOverall RecordSplit Season RecordsPlayoffs2017Sean Repay31–40 (.437)First Half: 16–19 (.457) Second Half: 15–21 (.417)Did not make playoffs2018*Sean Repay37–34 (.521)First Half: 25–11 (.694)* Second Half: 12–23 (.347)Lost 5–13 to Duluth2019Sean Repay32–40 (.444)First Half: 20–16 (.556) Second Half: 12–24 (.333)Did not make playoffs2020 #Will Flynt33–15 (.688)COVID-19 SeasonLost 0–2 to Mandan Defeated Mandan 9–2
Defeated Mandan 5–0
Northwoods League ND Pod Champs#2021Will Flynt30–38 (.441)First Half: 18–17 (.514) Second Half: 12–21 (.364)Did not make playoffs2022 Will Flynt 23–45 (.338) First Half: 11–23 (.324) Second Half: 12–22 (.353)Did not make playoffs2023Will Flynt26–41 (.388)First Half: 16–18 (.471) Second Half: 10–23 (.303)Did not make playoffs2024Mark Weidemaier34–36 (.486)First Half: 18–18 (.500) Second Half: 16–18 (.471)Did not make playoffs2025Mark Weidemaier18–54 (.250)First Half: 11–25 (.306) Second Half: 7–29 (.194)Did not make Playoffs2026Chris Monroe34–35 (.493)First Half: 16–18 (.471) Second Half: 18–17 (.514)Did not make Playoffs * Denotes Best 1st Half Record in North Division
References
External links Bismarck Larks official site Northwoods League official site