Elizabethton River Riders

The Elizabethton River Riders are a summer collegiate baseball team of the Appalachian League. They are located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and play their home games at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark.

Elizabethton River Riders
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Information
League	Appalachian League
Location	Elizabethton, Tennessee
Ballpark	Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark
Founded	2021
Colors	Navy, light blue, gold, green, white
Ownership	Boyd Sports, LLC
General manager	Kiva Fuller[1]
Website	Official website

History

Previous Elizabethton teams

Professional baseball was first played in Elizabethton, Tennessee, by the Elizabethton Betsy Red Sox in the Appalachian League in 1937.^[2] They remained in the league through 1942.^[2] The city's Appalachian League entry from 1945 to 1948 was called the Elizabethton Betsy Cubs.^[2] They were followed by the Elizabethton Betsy Local from 1949 to 1950 and the Elizabethton Phils in 1951.^[2] Thirty-six years later, the Minnesota Twins placed the Elizabethton Twins in the Appalachian League as a Rookie-level affiliate in 1974.^[2][3]

Collegiate summer team

In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Elizabethton Twins were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores.^[4] The new team became known as the Elizabethton River Riders.^[5] The nickname is in reference to the Watauga River, which runs just behind their stadium, Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark.^[6]