{{Short description|American collegiate summer baseball team}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox baseball team | name = Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | logo = SpringfieldLuckyHorseshoes.png | league = Prospect League (2009–present) | division = Eastern Conference – Central Division | location = Springfield, Illinois | stadium = Robin Roberts Stadium at Lanphier Park | founded = 2007 | league_champs = 1 (2008) | division_champs = 1 (2023) | former_names = Springfield Sliders (2007–2021) | former_leagues = Central Illinois Collegiate League (2008) | former_ballparks = | colors = Americana navy, lucky penny copper, louie powder blue, clean plate white <br> {{color box|#072B31}} {{color box|#A9431E}} {{color box|#41B6E6}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}} | owner = Golden Rule Entertainment | management = Jamie Toole (CEO) | manager = Brad Gyorkos | general_manager = Jamie Toole | media = ''The State Journal-Register'' | website = [http://www.shoesbaseball.com shoeseball.com] }} The '''Springfield Lucky Horseshoes''' are a collegiate summer league baseball team of the Prospect League. They play at Robin Roberts Stadium at Lanphier Park and are based in the city of Springfield, Illinois. The team was established in November 2007 as the '''Springfield Sliders'''<ref>[http://www.springfieldsliders.com/newsreleases/promo.html Springfield Sliders News] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628165435/http://www.springfieldsliders.com/newsreleases/promo.html |date=June 28, 2009 }}</ref> and were an expansion franchise for the 2008 season. The Lucky Horseshoes and other collegiate summer leagues and teams exist to give top college players professional-like experience without affecting NCAA eligibility.
The Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL) season was divided into two-halves with the first half winner playing the second half winner in a best-of-three series. The Sliders dominated the first half of the 2008 season with a 20–4 record, winning by seven games. Springfield won the CICL Regular Season Championship with a 30–17 record, leaving the 2nd place team 4.5 games behind. In the 2008 playoffs, Springfield defeated the Danville Dans in three games to win the 2008 CICL Championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ciclbaseball.com/2008trn/tournament.html|title=2008 Tournament|website=www.ciclbaseball.com}}</ref>
The CICL merged with the Prospect League after the 2008 season, with the Prospect League name carrying forward into the 2009 season and beyond.
The Lucky Horseshoes play in the Prospect League's Eastern Conference – Central Division along with the Danville Dans, Decatur Bean Ballers, Dubois County Bombers, and Terre Haute Rex.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://prospectleague.com/sports/bsb/2025-26/season-standings |title=2026 Prospect League Standings – Prospect League Baseball|website=www.prospectleague.com|access-date=2026-04-28}}</ref>
==History== The Sliders are the third collegiate wood bat franchise in Springfield. The Springfield Capitals were the first, operating from 1963 to 1977 as a member of the CICL. After the 1977 season, the Capitals ceased operations to make way for a minor league team, the Springfield Redbirds, for the 1978 season. The Springfield Redbirds would serve as the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals for four seasons, winning an American Association championship in 1980.{{cn|date=June 2022}} thumb|left
After the Redbirds controversially<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://illinoistimes.com/article-15863-take-me-out-to-the-ballgame.html|title=Take me out to the ballgame|access-date=June 13, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> moved to Louisville for the 1982 season and became the Louisville Redbirds, Springfield was without a baseball team for one season.
The Springfield Rifles began play in 1983 and were members of the CICL through 2006. The Rifles played their home games at Lincoln Land Community College for all but one season, and suffered from extremely low attendance.<ref>{{cite news | first = Chris | last = Dettro | title = Working the count: Sliders add to list of things to do around town | url = http://www.sj-r.com/news/x1196181916/Working-the-count-Sliders-add-to-list-of-things-to-do-around-town | work = The State Journal-Register | date = June 7, 2008 | access-date = August 18, 2008}}</ref><ref>[http://www.ciclbaseball.com/index.php?view=posts&month=1&dispyear=2008 Springfield is back in the CICL] Accessed June 6, 2008.</ref> Beginning in 1996 and running through 2001, Springfield was also home to the second version of the Springfield Capitals who this time were a member of the Frontier League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?code=FRON&class=Ind|title=Frontier League (Independent) Encyclopedia and History {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref>
The Sliders won their first game in franchise history against the Quincy Gems, 7–3.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtax.com/item_detail.php?category_id=39&item_id=4994|title=News Radio 1240 WTAX Springfield, IL}}</ref>
The team won the Western Division championship in 2010 (won both halves of the season) and played in the Western Division championship series after the 2016 as the 2nd Half champions, but lost the series to the Quincy Gems.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.whig.com/20160810/gems-loose-relaxed-in-quest-for-fourth-prospect-league-title#|title=Gems loose, relaxed in quest for fourth Prospect League title|date=August 10, 2016|work=Herald-Whig|access-date=May 31, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
The inclusion of the Gems in the 2016 series was controversial due to the Prospect League allowing an extra game played by the Gems to count in the standings for the season's 1st Half. The Gems and the DuPage Drones played a 31st game,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://prospectleague.wttbaseball.pointstreak.com/standings.html?leagueid=121&seasonid=30064|title=Prospect Collegiate Baseball LLC {{!}} Pointstreak Stats|website=prospectleague.wttbaseball.pointstreak.com|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> while the remaining four teams only played thirty games. The Sliders, had the Gems only been able to count thirty games for the season's 1st Half, would have won both halves of the season, as they held a tiebreaker over the Gems. Such a decision would have seen the Sliders and Drones play in the Western Division championship series, as the Drones had the second-best overall season record in the division.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pointstreak.com/baseball/standings.html?leagueid=121&seasonid=30064|title=Prospect League - standings|website=Pointstreak Sports Technologies|access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> Quincy would go on to lose the Prospect League Championship Series to the West Virginia Miners.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://wisr680.com/west-virginia-miners-win-prospect-league-championship/|title=West Virginia Miners Win Prospect League Championship - WISR 680 AM - Butler, PA|date=August 14, 2016|work=WISR 680 AM - Butler, PA|access-date=May 31, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> The Prospect League has since abandoned the first half winner and second half winner playoff format, instead opting to have the two teams with the best overall season records in each division advance to their respective divisional playoffs.
On February 17, 2022, the Sliders rebranded as the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes, named after the sandwich that originated in Springfield.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-02-17|title=Capital City Baseball announces "Lucky Horseshoes" as new identity|url=https://luckyhorseshoes.ism5.dev/capital-city-baseball-announces-lucky-horseshoes-as-new-identity/|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Springfield Lucky Horseshoes|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Gun giveaway controversy== During the 2016 season, the Sliders announced that an in-game promotion during their June 22 game against the DuPage Drones would feature a 50/50 drawing for a choice of several guns.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.us927.com/2016/06/21/sliders-proceeding-with-gun-giveaway/|title=Sliders Proceeding With Gun Giveaway|date=June 21, 2016|work=US 92.7|access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> The promotion drew attention and anger from a number of fans in the local community, given the short amount of time between the giveaway and the mass murder of 49 people at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.wandtv.com/story/32285975/gun-giveaway-upsets-some-springfield-sliders-fans|title=Gun Giveaway Upsets Some Springfield Sliders Fans|access-date=June 13, 2018|language=en}}</ref> The team's owner and General Manager, Todd Miller, told local media outlets that he gave thought to cancelling the giveaway, planned well in advance of the terrorist act,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.illinoishomepage.net/news/local-news/springfield-baseball-club-offers-gun-in-raffle/489975401|title=Springfield baseball club offers gun in raffle|last=Porter|first=Matt|date=June 23, 2016|work=ILLINOISHOMEPAGE|access-date=June 13, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> but instead chose to go forward with the promotion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sj-r.com/news/20160621/sliders-to-raffle-off-gun-at-wednesdays-baseball-game|title=Sliders to raffle off gun at Wednesday's baseball game|last=Reynolds|first=John|work=The State Journal|access-date=June 13, 2018|language=en}}</ref> Miller and the owner of the gun store providing the firearms emphasized that the weapons would not be at the stadium during the giveaway and that the winner would still have to comply with all applicable laws for purchasing a gun, in order to claim their prize.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://foxillinois.com/news/local/springfield-sliders-gun-giveaway-causes-controversy|title=Springfield Sliders' Gun Giveaway Causes Controversy|last=Illinois|first=Brendan Cullerton / Fox|work=WRSP|access-date=June 13, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> The game saw triple the number of fans in attendance than a typical game that season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newschannel20.com/news/local/springfield-sliders-controversial-gun-giveaway|title=Springfield Sliders Hold Controversial Gun Giveaway|last=Kwon|first=Esther|work=WICS|access-date=June 13, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> The team has since given away two more guns at its games.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://foxillinois.com/news/local/sliders-give-fans-third-gun-in-a-year|title=Sliders give fans third gun in a year|last=Illinois|first=Joe Cadotte, Fox|work=WRSP|access-date=June 13, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Former players in professional baseball== Since joining the Prospect League for the 2009 season, the Sliders have seen several players<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fightingillini.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3515|title=Josh Parr - 2011 - University of Illinois|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gocreighton.com/news/2010/6/8/204957596.aspx|title=Elliot Soto Drafted By Chicago Cubs in 15th Round of MLB Draft|website=Creighton University|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=peltie000rei|title=Reilly Peltier Minor Leagues Statistics & History {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> drafted by MLB teams. Elliot Soto was selected in the 2010 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs and made his MLB debut in 2020 with the Los Angeles Angels.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=soto--001ell|title=Elliot Soto Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics & History {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> Most recently, Chatham, Illinois (just south of Springfield) native Nick Maton was selected in the 2017 MLB draft by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 7th round and made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=maton-000nic|title=Nick Maton Minor Leagues Statistics & History {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref>
==Seasons== {|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" ! Season !! Manager !! Record !! Win % !! League !! Division !! GB !! Post-season record !! Post-season win % !! Post-season result !! Notes |- | 2008 || Ryan Sawyers<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.purduesports.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/sawyers_ryan00.html|title=Ryan Sawyers Bio :: Purdue University :: Official Athletic Site|access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> || 30–17 || .638 || 1st || 1st || – || 2–1 || .667 || '''Won''' Central Illinois Collegiate League Championship (Danville) || |- | 2009 || Jack Clark<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sj-r.com/article/20081015/News/310159875|title=Sliders' manager job goes to former Cardinals slugger Clark|author=Staff Report|work=The State Journal|access-date=May 31, 2018|language=en}}</ref> || 22–32 || .407 || 11th || 5th || 13.0 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2010 || Curt Ford || 35–19 || .648 || 1st || 1st || – || 0–1 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2011 || Danny Cox<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sj-r.com/article/20090225/News/302259865|title=Sliders hire ex-Cards hurler Danny Cox as pitching coach|last=PILGER|first=HAL|work=The State Journal|access-date=May 31, 2018|language=en}}</ref>|| 25–30 || .455 || 6th || 6th || 12.5 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2012 || Pete Romero || 24–36 || .400 || 5th || 5th || 14.0 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2013 || Pete Romero<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nprillinois.org/post/play-ball-sliders-begin-2013-season#stream/0|title=Play Ball! Sliders Begin 2013 Season|last=Crawford|first=Sean|access-date=May 31, 2018|language=en}}</ref> || 11–47 || .190 || 5th || 5th || 29.0 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2014 || Pete Romero<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ruppert |first=Jim |date=July 9, 2014 |title=Springfield Sliders, amid losing season, remove Pete Romero as manager |language=en |work=The State Journal |url=http://www.sj-r.com/article/20140709/News/140709419 |access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> / Vic Aure<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sj-r.com/article/20150526/SPORTS/150529571 |title=New manager Casey Dill puts his stamp on Springfield Sliders |last=Mahan |first=Ryan |date=May 26, 2015 |work=The State Journal-Register |access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> || 14–46 || .233 || 5th || 5th || 25.5 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2015 || Casey Dill<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mahan |first=Ryan |title=New manager Casey Dill puts his stamp on Springfield Sliders |language=en |work=The State Journal |url=http://www.sj-r.com/article/20150526/SPORTS/150529571 |access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref>|| 29–30 || .492 || 4th || 4th || 13.5 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2016 || Zac Charbonneau<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prospectleague.com/view/prospectleague/prospect-league-news/news_357115|title=Sliders Hire Charbonneau as Field Manager {{!}} Prospect Collegiate Baseball LLC|website=www.prospectleague.com|language=en|access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> || 39–20 || .661 || 1st || 1st || – || 0–2 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2017 || Randy Guite<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newschannel20.com/sports/content/sliders-manager-randy-guite-learning-a-lot-in-his-1st-season|title=Sliders Manager Randy Guite learning a lot in his 1st season|last=Coy|first=David|work=WICS|access-date=May 31, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> || 26–34 || .433 || 5th || 5th || 10.0 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2018 || Steve Leonetti<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sj-r.com/sports/20180511/sliders-tab-leonetti-as-field-manager|title=Sliders tab Leonetti as field manager|author=Staff report|work=The State Journal|access-date=May 31, 2018|language=en}}</ref> || 28–30 || .483 || 7th || 4th || 7.0 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || |- | 2019 || Jeremiah Knackstedt<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.summerbaseballregister.com/blog/jeremiah-knackstedt-to-manage-springfield-sliders-in-2019-168|title=Jeremiah Knackstedt to Manage Springfield Sliders in 2019|website=Collegiate Summer Baseball Register|language=en|access-date=December 4, 2018}}</ref>|| 12–48 || .200 || 12th || 6th || 31.0 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || Prospect League record 26 game losing streak;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prospectleague.com/view/prospectleague/prospect-league-news/news_524098|title=IT'S FINALLY OVER, SLIDERS SNAP 26 GAME LOSING STREAK {{!}} Prospect Collegiate Baseball LLC|website=www.prospectleague.com|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref> League record 48 overall losses |- | 2020 || colspan="10"|''Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)'' |- | 2021 || Terry McDevitt || 30–30 || .500 || 7th || 3rd || 11.5 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || Last season as the Sliders |- | 2022 || Zach George || 27–33 || .450 || 11th || 3rd || 3.0 || 0–1 || .000 || Lost Prairie Land Division Championship (Alton) || First season as the Lucky Horseshoes |- | 2023 || Zach George || 25–29 || .463 || 12th || 3rd || 7.0 || 1–1 || .500 || '''Won''' Wabash River Division Championship (Danville)<br> Lost Eastern Conference Championship (Chillicothe) || Moved from Western to Eastern Conference |- | 2024 || Brad Gyorkos || 24–31 || .436 || 15th || 3rd || 10.5 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || Moved from Eastern to Western Conference |- | 2025 || Pete Romero || 13–38 || .255 || 18th || 5th || 21.0 || 0–0 || .000 || ''Did not qualify'' || Moved from Western to Eastern Conference |- | 2026 || Brad Gyorkos || 0–0 || – || – || – || – || 0–0 || – || – || |- | '''Totals'''|| || 414–550 || .429 || || || || 3–6 || .333 || || * |}
==Stadium== The Lucky Horseshoes play at Robin Roberts Stadium. The stadium opened in 1928 and was renovated/expanded over the years to its current 5,200<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.springfieldparks.org/facilities/stadiums/robinRoberts.aspx|title=Springfield Park District - Robin Roberts Stadium|website=www.springfieldparks.org|access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> seat capacity. During the 2017 season, 29,532 fans attended Sliders games at Robin Roberts stadium, ranking the facility as the fourth-most visited stadium in the Prospect League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pointstreaksites.com/view/prospectleague/prospect-league-news/news_493517|title=Prospect League Attendance Up in 2017 {{!}} Prospect Collegiate Baseball LLC|website=pointstreaksites.com|language=en|access-date=June 8, 2018}}</ref> The stadium has been the home to a number of minor league and independent teams since it opened in 1928.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sangamoncountyhistory.org/wp/?p=1439|title=Robin Roberts Stadium {{!}} SangamonLink|website=sangamoncountyhistory.org|language=en-US|access-date=June 8, 2018}}</ref> During the 2019 season, just under 28,000 fans attended Sliders games at the stadium, ranking the facility as the third-most visited stadium in the Prospect League,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/08/12/2019-summer-collegiate-attendance-by-average/|title=2019 Summer Collegiate Attendance by Average|last=Reichard|first=Kevin|date=August 12, 2019|website=Ballpark Digest|language=en-US|access-date=August 13, 2019}}</ref> despite the team's on-field performance, which saw it set a new league record for most losses in a season at 48.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prospectleague.com/view/prospectleague/prospect-league-news/news_524399|title=PROSPECT LEAGUE PROSPECT(US) {{!}} Prospect Collegiate Baseball LLC|website=www.prospectleague.com|access-date=August 13, 2019}}</ref>
== Roster == {{IndyLB roster | TeamName = Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | BC1 = #000080 | FC1 = #B87333 | BC2 = #B6D0E2 | FC2 = #B87333 | Date = May 11, 2026
| Pitchers = {{MLBplayer|--|Brock Bullinger}} {{MLBplayer|--|Cash Clementi}} {{MLBplayer|--|Russell Copous}} {{MLBplayer|--|Alex Corzo}} {{MLBplayer|--|Travis Dudycha}} {{MLBplayer|--|Tadeáš Kalcev}} {{MLBplayer|--|Jacob King}} {{MLBplayer|--|Logan Miller}} {{MLBplayer|--|Arata Motohashi}} {{MLBplayer|--|Tristan Neely}} {{MLBplayer|--|Knox Poston}} {{MLBplayer|--|Anthony Ribes}} {{MLBplayer|--|Cobe Ross}} {{MLBplayer|--|Grant Smith}} {{MLBplayer|--|Hayden Steelman}}
| Catchers = {{MLBplayer|--|Lawson Alwan}} {{MLBplayer|--|Marco Lopez}} {{MLBplayer|--|Zach White}}
| Infielders = {{MLBplayer|--|Trey Blanchette}} {{MLBplayer|--|Ethan Burkhardt}} {{MLBplayer|--|Jacob Buysse}} {{MLBplayer|--|Dylan England}} {{MLBplayer|--|Tyler Johnson}} {{MLBplayer|--|AJ Keely}} {{MLBplayer|--|Kannon Kirk}} {{MLBplayer|--|Brandon Valentin}} {{MLBplayer|--|Tanay Vyas}} {{MLBplayer|--|Dayne Wray}}
| Outfielders = {{MLBplayer|--|Ryan Dabe}} {{MLBplayer|--|Adrian Nina}} {{MLBplayer|--|Griffin Novacek}} {{MLBplayer|--|General Schofield}} {{MLBplayer|--|Garrett Wiethorn}}
| manager = {{MLBplayer|--|Brad Gyorkos}}
| Coaches= {{MLBplayer|--|Jimmy Koza}} {{small|(assistant)}} }}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[https://shoesbaseball.com/ Official Site]
{{Prospect League}} {{Illinois Sports}}
Category:Amateur baseball teams in Illinois Category:Prospect League teams Lucky Horseshoes Category:Baseball teams established in 2007 Category:2007 establishments in Illinois