The Monarchs played their first varsity baseball game on March 28, 2006, defeating the visiting Metro Lazers by a score of 12-11. Ten years later, the Monarchs have completed their 10th anniversary season of red-and-black tradition, and are starting their second decade. A nice claim for the team's baseball history!
The roots of the program can be traced to the Kansas City Adventist Youth Softball League (KCAYSL), a youth softball program begun in 1997 by Bill Robertson, then president of Shawnee Mission Medical Center. Many of the team's original players were members of those early softball teams.
During 2005, KCAYSL Commissioner Shannan Nelson presented his idea for a varsity baseball team that would be sponsored by Midland Adventist Academy. His proposal was accepted, and Mustang baseball officially began in the spring of 2006. From the beginning, the Mustangs/Monarchs have been coached by Coach Nelson, a former member of the Cincinnati Reds minor league organization. Under his leadership, the team has improved each year, with the team breaking .500 every spring campaign since 2007.
With their 2010 opening day win over the visiting St. Mary's Crusaders on March 29, 2010, the team started a new chapter as an independent high school team. The coaching staff expanded the team focus and welcomed additional players to the squad. As part of this move, the team was renamed the Midland Monarchs, and dropped its relationship as the varsity team of Midland Adventist Academy. The Monarchs received state authorization through KSHSAA, and played Kansas 3A and Kansas Christian Athletic Association (KCAA) high-school ball during the 2011 season.
During the 2011 season, the Monarchs won the Northern League championship with an 18-1 record. In the process, they reached the championship game of two separate tournaments, winning the Briley Sonics Tournament over the Hammerhounds by a 10-9 score.
The program continued to expand, fielding a JV/development team during the 2012-2014 seasons that provided playing time for a number of new Monarchs.
In 2013, the team combined with a number of independent high school programs to form the Kansas City Independent / Charter League (KCIC), winning the initial Spring season state championship over Tulsa's NOAH squad by a 13-2 score. During the summer season, Midland joined with six local high school teams to form the K7 League, winning the initial summer championship over Bonner Springs by a 21-6 score. In 2014, Midland did the repeat, winning the K7 League for a second straight year.
The Monarchs reclaimed the KCICI league championship in 2015, defeating Advanced Baseball by a 3-2 score. And never one to let the grass grow under their feet, the team defended their two K7 League championships, completing the three-peat with a half-game lead over Eudora.
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Franchise milestones:
1997 - KC Adventist Youth Softball League begins 2006 - Franchise launched as the Midland Mustangs 2006 (March 28) - first game - first home victory (12-11 over Lazers) - first hit (Chris Fairchild, 2nd inning single) - first double (Jordan Breyer, 3rd inning) - first run (Daniel Frishman, 1st inning) - first RBI (Jordan Breyer, 2nd inning, bases-loaded walk) - first victory (Mitch Seltman) 2006 (April 4) - first home run (Jordan Breyer, 1st inning, three-run shot) 2006 (April 20) - first road victory (9-8 vs Crescent Lake) 2006 (April 27) - first triple (Patrick Dahl, 2nd inning) 2006 - first complete game (Jordan Breyer) 2007 - Mustangs first winning season (6-5) 2010 - Mustangs become the independent Midland Monarchs 2010 - Monarchs first summer season (league champ) 2010 - Monarchs first fall season 2010 - Monarchs first winter season (league champ, 1st session) 2011 (May 13) - Monarchs reach 100 team victories (14-3 vs St. Mary's) 2011 (May 22) - First alumni game played 2011 (Aug. 28) - First perfect game (Stachys McLoud) 2011 (Sept. 26) - First Tournament championship (Briley Sonics 3&2) 2011 - Monarchs win Northern League fall championship 2011 - First Monarch to sign college Letter of Intent (Gage Compton) 2012 - Monarchs launch Development team 2012 (May 3) - First use of the alternate black jerseys 2012 - Development team wins Federal League Sportsmanship award 2013 - Monarchs join KCIC league, win initial KCIC state championship 2013 - Monarchs join K7 League, win initial League championship 2013 (Sept. 15) - Monarchs achieve 200 team victories (12-4 vs KC Yankees) 2014 (May 2) - Monarchs achieve 100 spring victories (15-9 vs Complete Game) 2014 (July 23) - Monarchs repeat as K7 League summer champions 2015 - Monarchs begin their 10th season 2015 - Monarchs win second KCIC League spring championship 2015 - Monarchs win K7 League summer championship 2015 (July 23) - Monarchs achieve 100 summer victories (9-1 vs Leavenworth)
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Monarchs W/L Records:
* won division
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The Monarchs continue to play their home games at Bill Robertson Field (see below), located at 6915 Maurer Road, in Shawnee, KS.
Improvements to the ball park include the following:
2007 - grass infield
2007 - chain-link fences
2007 - outfield fences extended 10 feet
2008 - new bleachers
2008 - covered dugouts
2008 - batting/pitching cage
2009 - improved dugouts
2010 - outfield fences extended 30 feet
2010 - wooden fences
2010 - new backstop
2011 - brick dugouts
2011 - restroom facilities
2013 - new infield material (via Royals)
2014 - new scoreboard
Field dimensions (2011)
LF Line: 300 feet
LC Power Alley: 294 feet
Dead Center: 321 feet
RC Power Alley: 310 feet
RF Line: 299 feet
| The original outfield fences (replaced by chain-link fence in 2007, and then by wood fencing in 2010) | The original dugouts (replaced by covered dugouts in 2008 and then by brick dugouts in 2011) |
