Evansville Otters

The Evansville Otters are a professional baseball team based in Evansville, Indiana. They compete in the National Association of Professional Baseball (NAPB) as a member of the Central Division. Since their relocation from Lancaster, Ohio in 1995, the Otters have played at Bosse Field, which originally opened in 1915. The Otters are the oldest current team in the Frontier League and have reached the postseason fourteen times, winning Frontier League championships in 2006 and 2016.

History

The Otters franchise history began with the Lancaster Scouts, a founding member of the Frontier League in 1993. After their second year playing in Lancaster, Ohio, and drawing a league-low 261 fans a game, the franchise relocated to Evansville, Indiana and renamed themselves the Otters. The name was chosen via a Name the Team contest, with Otters beating out Pioneers, River Pilots, and Wolves. Otters were extirpated from Southern Indiana in the late 19th century, but one had recently been spotted in the region and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources was working to re-introduce them.

When the Otters began play in 1995, they returned professional baseball to Evansville for the first time in a decade. The city had been without a team since the Evansville Triplets of the American Association relocated to Nashville, Tennessee following the 1984 season.

The Otters named Boots Day their manager in December 1994. Day was a former Evansville Triplet and had previously managed for the Bristol Tigers of the Appalachian League from 1982 to 1983.

The Otters drew 90,943 fans in their first season, more than the entire Frontier League had in its inaugural season two years earlier. Their 2,675 fans a game was third among all independent baseball teams in 1995, behind only the St. Paul Saints, Winnipeg Goldeyes, and Sioux City Explorers. The Otters' general manager, Jim Miller, was awarded the Frontier League's 1995 Executive of the Year award.

The first Evansville Otters game was played on June 15, 1995. The Otters were awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year Award in 1997, and the Commissioner's Award of Excellence in 2004. They earned their 689th win, a league record, on August 18, 2011. The team hosted the largest crowd ever at Bosse Field on July 24, 2013, with 8,253 fans in attendance. The Otters welcomed their 2,000,000th fan to the ballpark on August 18, 2013.

The Otters have promoted over 50 of their players to Major League Baseball franchises. Four Otters have gone on to careers at the major league level including George Sherrill, Andrew Werner, Brandyn Sittinger, and Randy Wynne.

The success of the Otters in Evansville led to the move of more Frontier League teams to larger cities, many of which have built new ballparks, leading to the increased stability and success of the league in recent years.

On May 27, 2014, the Otters became the first team in the Frontier League to reach 800 wins.

The Otters reached the Frontier League Championship Series in 2023 for the first time since 2016 but lost in five games to the Quebec Capitales.

Ballpark

The Evansville Otters have played their home games at Bosse Field since they moved to Evansville in 1995. It was built in 1915 and is the third oldest ballpark still in use by a professional team, trailing Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.

Season-by-season records

Year Division W–L Win % Place Postseason SourceLancaster Scouts1993West22–33.4003rdDid not qualify1994West25–39.3912ndWon 1st Round Playoff vs. Chillicothe Paints 2–1. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Erie Sailors 2–0.Total—47–72.395——Playoffs—2–3—.4001 Playoff appearance, 0 ChampionshipsEvansville Otters 1995—31-38.4496thDid not qualify1996West34–40.4593rdDid not qualify1997West46–33.5821stWon 1st Round Playoff vs. Richmond Roosters 2–1. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Canton Crocodiles 2–0.1998West43–36.5443rdLost 1st Round Playoff vs. Springfield Capitals 2–1.1999West43–41.5121stLost 1st Round Playoff vs. Chillicothe Paints 2–0.2000West45–38.6162ndWon 1st Round Playoff vs. River City Rascals 2–0. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Johnstown Johnnies 3–1.2001West44–40.5244thDid not qualify2002West33–51.3936thDid not qualify2003East51–37.5803rdWon 1st Round Playoff vs. Chillicothe Paints 2–1. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Gateway Grizzlies 3–0.2004East54–42.5622ndWon 1st Round Playoff vs. Washington Wild Things 3–0. Lost Frontier League Championship vs. Rockford Riverhawks 3–0.2005East52–43.5474thDid not qualify2006West46–50.4792ndWon 1st Round Playoff vs. Rockford Riverhawks 3–2. Won Frontier League Championship vs. Chillicothe Paints 3–0.2007West34–62.3544thDid not qualify2008West39–57.4066thDid not qualify2009West28–66.2986thDid not qualify2010West35–59.3726thDid not qualify2011West39–57.406T-5thDid not qualify2012East45–50.4745thDid not qualify2013East51–45.5314thDid not qualify2014East57–37.6062ndLost East Division Wild Card Game vs. Washington Wild Things.2015East48–48 .5004thDid not qualify2016West55–40 .5792ndWon 1st Round Playoff vs. Joliet Slammers 3–1. Won Frontier League Championship vs. River City Rascals 3–2.2017West52–44 .5422ndLost 1st Round Playoff vs. Schaumburg Boomers 3–1.2018West51–45 .5312ndLost 1st Round Playoff vs. Washington Wild Things 3–0.2019West57–39 .531T-1stLost 1st Round Playoff vs. River City Rascals 3–0.2020West---Season not played due to COVID-192021West57–39 .5942ndDid not qualify2022West52–44.5423rdLost Wild Card Game to Schaumburg Boomers 5–1.2023West52–44 .5423rdWon Wild Card Game over Schaumburg Boomers 4–3 Won 1st Round Playoff over Gateway Grizzlies 2–1 Lost Championship vs. Québec Capitales 3–22024West41–55.4276th Did not qualify2025Central40–56.4174th Did not qualify2026West62–40.6082ndWon Wild Card Round over Schaumburg Boomers 2–1 Won West Division Conference Finals over Washington Wild Things 3–2 Lost Championship to Ottawa Titans 3–1Total—1,360–1,377.504——Playoffs—24–28.462—15 Playoff appearances, 2 Championships

Current roster

Notable alumni George Sherrill (1999–2000) Andrew Werner (2009–2010) Brett Marshall (2015) Ty Hensley (2018) Randy Wynne (2018–2019) Brandyn Sittinger (2019) Boots Day (2021)

Evansville Otters

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