In the Beginning....

In 1984, a small group of Nevada businessmen and community leaders came together with a goal in mind, to promote baseball in Nevada and Vernon County. The paperwork necessary to create a non-profit corporation was filed, and the Nevada Baseball Club was born. 


A contest was held to choose the name of the team yet to be fielded, and Kelly Bradham, then-sportswriter for the Nevada Daily News, submitted the winning entry, "Griffons," a tribute to Vernon County's two major league players, Clark Griffith and George Lyons. (See "Why Griffons" for Kelly's original article.) 


The team's first General Manager, Darry Miller, recruited players from throughout the country for the inaugural season in 1985.  That team saw players from Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Minnesota, S. Dakota, Texas, Colorado, Indiana, California, and Oregon as well as Missouri form the very first Nevada Griffons baseball team.  The team competed in the Jayhawk League, against the Beatrice (NE) Bruins, the Clarinda (IA) A's, the Hays (KS) Larks, the Liberal (KS) Bee Jays, the Red Oak (IA) Red Sox, and the Wichita (KS) Broncos.  Numerous non-league opponents were also scheduled to fill in a 51 game regular season schedule that first year.


Host families from around the area stepped forward to house the young baseball players, and the Griffons truly became a part of our community. 


Citing financial and travel considerations, in 2009, the Griffons Board of Directors voted to move from the Jayhawk League to the M.I.N.K. (Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas) League.


The team has a long history of appearances at the National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series in Wichita, KS.  The Griffons have played in the Series 22 times since 1985, with top 10 finishes in 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012 and 2013.