The owners of the Jefferson City Renegades organization continue to seek financing to bring a Frontier League baseball team to Jefferson City, but they have set their sights on a second possible location for the stadium - at Lincoln University.
"We like the idea of Lincoln University. Possible sponsors we've talked to like the idea of Lincoln University as well," said Steve Dullard, Jefferson City Renegades executive director. "The improvements and everything that's going on out there would be a great location as well if Lincoln were to work with us."
He cited the multipurpose building to be co-owned by LU and Jefferson City's Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department as well as the new Boys and Girls Club facility to be built on the LU campus as positive development at the university that could make it a good place for a professional team to play.
The Renegades were previously considering Vivion Field - owned by the city's parks and recreation department - as the only existing stadium in Jefferson City they could renovate for minor-league purposes.
"Vivion Field is still a beautiful location, and it's still a possible location, but we also want to make sure that this is something that happens for the city and for the region," Dullard said.
The Renegades are in the early stages of seeking large sponsors, and some potential investors may be more amenable to the LU idea, he said.
"What we've been doing is talking to local community leaders and business owners and just getting a sense of what they'd like to see before they actually invest in the team," Dullard continued. "There's been much more interest when we mention Lincoln University as a partner."
The Renegades and LU are in the beginning stages of talks to determine whether renovating LU's current baseball stadium for a minor-league team will be the best bet for both organizations. Dullard has estimated it would take between $500,000 and $1 million to renovate Vivion Field. Also, LU's facility does not have bathrooms, outdoor lighting or an electronic scoreboard.
"That stuff starts adding up dollar signs," Dullard said.
The Renegades' ownership plans to meet with LU officials in the next week or so to determine whether they will move forward with the partnership, and hopes to decide whether to pursue a stadium at LU or Vivion Field within the next two weeks, Dullard said.
The Renegades' board of directors includes Dullard, Don Irwin, Jay Carroll, Denny Atwell and Tyler Bethards. They still hope to have a team together by the 2017 season.
On another front, the Renegades board has decided to incorporate the team legally as a nonprofit, partnering with the Jefferson City Junior Jays youth baseball organization.
"The original goal of this project is to bring a professional minor-league team to Jefferson City and the Mid-Missouri region, and part of it is bettering the community, bettering the available facilities and bettering opportunities for the youth of Mid-Missouri," Dullard said. "We can better achieve this task as a not-for-profit."
The Junior Jays' mission is "to teach children of all ages the fundamentals of baseball while educating our youth and helping our community," according to the club's Facebook page.
"The most important things we focus on are making sure great athletes do not fall through the cracks because of monetary constraints and making sure best friends stay together year after year during each season," said Jay Carroll, Junior Jays founder, in a statement on the Facebook page. "There are many times you see children get cut from a team and are forced to play ball with strangers or you see your son's good friend be forced to leave the team because it costs thousands of dollars to play competitive ball. Our goal is to put a stop to that."
The exclusive nonprofit partnership between the Renegades and the Junior Jays means the Renegades will help promote the Junior Jays and eventually help support them monetarily, Dullard said. It also means if the Renegades' effort falls through down the road, any remaining assets will go to the Junior Jays.