It’s official: the former Edmonton Prospects are now known as … the Energy City Cactus Rats.
Even though the team will play out of a still-under-construction stadium in Spruce Grove, it wanted to have a more regional feel.
“We see ourselves as a regional baseball team that encompasses the entire metro Edmonton region, all the cities that are part of that area,” said Patrick Cassidy, the managing partner of the Cactus Rats. “We wanted something that was symbolic of the people of this region.
“What’s the common thing that brings all these cities in this region together? It’s energy.”
And so, Energy City was chosen. As for the Cactus Rats, Cassidy said, the name is slang for porcupines.
Porcupines are large, quill-covered rodents that are found all over Alberta. Though data from Statistics Canada showed the population was declining throughout the 2010s, they are not considered at risk.
The team had close to 1,000 names to choose from, including suggestions like the Beavers and the Mets.
“What you’ll find is the more you know it, the more you say it, the more it feels like a wonderful name,” Cassidy said.
As for the name of the team’s mascot, a porcupine wearing a blue Hi-Vis safety shirt, media were told it hasn’t been chosen yet.
“Unofficially, there have been some names thrown around,” said Jordan Blundell, the director of baseball operations with the Cactus Rats. “I’m hopeful my suggestion is taken, we’ll see. It will be fun.”
The team played out of ReMax Field in downtown Edmonton between 2005 and 2020 and have been playing out of Sherwood Park’s Centennial Park since 2021.
“Sherwood Park minor baseball went out of their way to accommodate us, to help keep our franchise going while this project was in development,” said Blundell.
The Cactus Rats will play out of Myshak Metro Ballpark, which is nearing completion, according to Blundell.
“The ballpark is only a small piece of what that whole district (will be),” Blundell said.
Retail, residential and recreational development are all expected in the district in the years to come, according to one city councilor.
“We want to attract event tourism, we want to have tournaments here, we want to be able to host events year-round as well,” said councilor Reid MacDonald.
“We’re investing in the city tremendously in terms of infrastructure, road expansion, utility expansion.”
Heavy Metal Place, the new home for the Spruce Grove Saints junior hockey team, is also set to open this year in May.
The Cactus Rats hope to continue to inspire the next generation of baseball players, like the Prospects did for some of their current players.
“We’re seeing those types of players that have been doing Prospects kids camps since 2007, 2012 … they’ve continued to play baseball and now they’re on our radar as far as coming to play for us and many of them already have,” said Cassidy.
“I played right into my adulthood, and the thing that inspired me was country fairs, when you got to play in front of more than just your family and your girlfriend or your wife, you got to play in front of a lot of people.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg
