When the collegiate summer level Clinton LumberKings announced earlier this month that they planned to rebrand as the Shadflies for Friday night games this season, fans recognized the April Fool’s prank right away. Shadflies, also called mayflies, are short-lived flying insects that live near waterways—like the Mississippi, which flows right by the LumberKings’ riverfront ballpark.
The joke ended up being on the team when fans responded that the team should follow through with the alternate brand. Less than two weeks after April Fool’s Day, the LumberKings announced that they would indeed take the field as the Shadflies this season. (It’s noteworthy that if the LumberKings were still affiliated, it would have taken well more than a year to complete the approval process to make this happen.)
“The feedback really blew us away,” said LumberKings general manager Nate Vander Bleek on the team’s website. “When you get such a positive response, you have to give the people what they want.”
The team has yet to announce when the theme night will be held, but the Prospect League season begins May 28.
