| Classification | Independent (1953–1959) Collegiate summer baseball (1960–1973) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Minor League Baseball Collegiate summer baseball |
| First season | 1953 |
| Ceased | 1973 |
| President | Al Steinmetz (1955–1960) Cal Ackerman (1961) Bill Baumgartner (1962) Milo Brekhus (1963) Neil Simpson (1964) Floyd Fitzgerald (1965–1973) |
| Commissioner | R.M. 'Bus' Walseth (1953–1973) |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Most titles | 9 Pierre Cowboys (1958–1962, 1965–1967, 1969) |
| Sponsor(s) | Black Hills Sports, Inc. |
| Official website | http://www.attheplate.com/wcbl/basin_league.html |
The Basin League was an independent collegiate minor league, that operated from 1953 to 1973, featuring teams primarily from South Dakota and one from Nebraska. The league name reflected the number of teams situated along the Missouri River Basin. The league roster structure evolved from having some professional players to totally being amateur. The Basin League was a pioneer of what is known today as collegiate summer baseball.
Over 100 future major league players played in the Basin League, among them Baseball Hall of Fame members Bob Gibson, Jim Palmer and Don Sutton.