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Grand Forks Spitfires
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| Grand Forks Spitfires | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| League | Northwoods League |
| Location | Grand Forks, North Dakota |
| Ballpark | Albrecht Field |
| Founded | 2026 |
| Colors | Blue, orange, green, grey |
| Ownership | John Bollinger & Marcie Bollinger, Monica & Dylan Hocking, Ryan Voz, Marc Jerzak, Dave & Alexa Albrecht, Tom & Martie Wesley, Mike Opp[1] |
| General manager | Roberto Lemus |
| Website | northwoodsleague.com/grand-forks-spitfires/ |
The Grand Forks Spitfires are a fastpitch softball team that plays in the softball branch of the collegiate summer Northwoods League, also known as Northwoods League Softball (NWLS). The Spitfires play their home games at Albrecht Field in Grand Forks, North Dakota, sharing the stadium with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks softball team.
History
In May 2023, the Northwoods League announced that they were creating a summer collegiate softball league to begin play in 2024. Explaining the rationale, co-founder Kathy Radatz said “We have seen tremendous growth in interest in women’s softball in recent years, and we are excited to be able to provide a platform for female athletes to continue to hone their skills and compete at a high level during the summer months.”[2]
In 2024, the NWLS launched with teams in Madison, Wisconsin; La Crosse, Wisconsin; Mankato, Minnesota; and Minot, North Dakota. In 2025, the Wausau Ignite were added, bringing the circuit to five teams and introducing a playoff series.[3]
In 2025, the NWLS announced that a sixth team would be added for the 2026 season, playing their home games at Albrecht Field in Grand Forks. They were the first NWLS team to not share a stadium with a Northwoods baseball team and the first NWLS team to play in a non-NWL baseball market. The Grand Forks Channel Cats had previously played in the NWL from 1998-2000.
In 2026, the Spitfires had their inaugural season. They finished with a 20-20 record, good for third place in NWLS and nearly qualifying them for the playoffs.[4] Five Spitfires players were named to the NWLS inaugural All-Star game, with standout player Mattison Kwarta winning the Home Run Derby.[5]
Brand
In November 2025, the team announced the Spitfires identity and unveiled their branding. Spitfires was chosen from six nickname finalists, with the others being Flying Aces, Spudniks, Sweet Beets, Voodoo, and Wingnuts. Team colors (blue, orange, green, and grey) and aviation-themed logos were revealed, drawing reference from the Supermarine Spitfire aircraft.[6]
References
- ↑ "Our Team". NorthwoodsLeague.com. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Northwoods League announces new women's summer collegiate softball league". BallparkDigest.com. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Standings". NorthwoodsLeague.com. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ↑ Faber, Alex. "Grand Forks Spitfires go out on a bang, beat Minot to finish inaugural season". grandforksherald.com. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ Miller, Tom. "Grand Forks Spitfires' Mattison Kwarta wins Home Run Challenge at All-Star Game". grandforksherald.com. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Grand Forks Softball Officially Becomes the Grand Forks Spitfires". NorthwoodsLeague.com. Retrieved March 13, 2026.