Baseball: Larks showing a commitment to showcasing local talent

BISMARCK, N.D. — If you’ve spent some summer nights at the ballpark cheering on the Larks, you might recognize some of the faces donning the yellow, black and grey. For first-year manager Mark Weidemaier, that was part of the process coming into the season.

As Bismarck made an additional effort to winning, Weidemaier also put an emphasis on recruiting local talent to the team. While the Capital City and surrounding areas aren’t home to a high number of colleges and universities, the Larks skipper made sure to bring in some homegrown athletes.

“I think it’s big part of the whole recruiting process is to get guys from the local area,” Weidemaier says. “I think the fans can relate more to the young men from North Dakota in particular. Any of the Dakotas, but in particular, schools from this area. I think actually one of the obstacles we battle a little bit here with Bismarck is when you look at all the teams we play in Minnesota they have a bunch of schools right around those areas to draw from. We really don’t, but I definitely want to do it. That was part of the process was to bring some local talent in.”

One of those homegrown talents is pitcher Lucas Burgum. The Mandan native grew up with Larks season tickets, spending his summer in the stands cheering on his hometown team. For Burgum, and other North Dakota products, playing for the Larks gives them a special opportunity to give back to their community.

“It really does come full circle,” Burgum says. “Just the love to keep playing. The luxury you have to be out here every day. I mean, it’s a long season. There’s a lot of games out here, but it’s just fun every day coming to the park. You always play for the people that support you. I think it means more to come out here every night and they pack the stands. We’ve been pretty much everywhere in the Northwoods by now and they pack this place out like no other. So, it means a lot. The fans come out here and support the heck out of the Larks.”

“He grew up coming to games and he grew up in the community where they looked up to the Larks players at that time,” Weidemaier adds. “Now, that he is one, he can pass it on to the next generation. I think that’s huge. I think it’s a great part of this whole deal.”

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