Official Pelicans BC Website

Official Pelicans BC Merch

All-Time Record

Instagram – nolapelicansbc

Logo

Uniform

Hats

Click on a hat to be taken to a page where you can purchase one!

Colors

Blue, White, Red

Mascot

Lafitte The Pelican

Motto

Pels fly high with a face full of fish

Sponsor

Basin Street Records is a New Orleans-based record label that has been releasing music from New Orleans artists for over twenty years. Their focus has been New Orleans-based Jazz, Blues, Funk, Rhythm and Blues, and Rock. Their artist roster includes: Kermit Ruffins, Los Hombres Calientes, Jason Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield, Dr. Michael White, Headhunters, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary, Theresa Andersson, Jeremy Davenport, Rebirth Brass Band, Davell Crawford, Saràyah, Bonerama, and Lena Prima.

History

The Pelicans Baseball Club or Pelicans BC is one of the original four teams of the PBL.

In their first “official” season, under the management of Charlie “Fitz” Fitzgibbon, the Pelicans managed to make it to the championship. The first championship in 2017 pitted the Rougarou against the Pelicans in a 3-game series. The Rougarou took the first game, but due to weather conditions, the full series was never completed.

In the Spring of 2018, the Pelicans continued to demonstrate they were a formidable force on the baseball field by earning the 1st place berth for the regular season with an 8-2 record (tying with the Fifth Ward Weebies, but claiming first due to run differential). The newly established single-elimination postseason found the Pelicans facing off against the 4th place Rougarou, and winning to advance to the championship game. In the championship of the 2018 Spring season on June 15 at 6:05 PM, the Pelicans faced off against the Parleaux Beer Labs, and were ultimately victorious in eight and a half innings.

At the end of the 2018 Spring season, two-term manager Charlie “Fitz” Fitzgibbon relinquished his seat as the Pelicans manager. With no clear successor stepping forward, the Pelicans briefly faced imminent dissolution by edict of league commissioner/comandante Adam Kronenberg. Upon hearing this news, members of the Pelicans immediately protested, and two players Anna “Mia” D’Souza and Braden Piper stepped forward as the new co-managers. Under the new management, the Pelicans would expand their roster, secure a sponsorship from local record label Basin Street Records, introduce their new mascot Lafitte the Pelican, and create new uniform shirts and hats.

With the increased competition present in the league during the 2018 Fall Season, the Pelicans struggled early with a 1-2 record prior to the all-star break. However, the Pelicans continued to persevere and finished the season with a 3-3 record, and a 3rd place berth placing them once again in a playoff against the now deadly 2nd place Rougarou. The Pelicans won their playoff against the Rougarou 16-4, and for the third consecutive season advanced to the championship game. In a rematch of the last championship game, Pelicans BC vs. Parleaux Beer Labs, the Parleaux Beer Labs dethroned the Pelicans, and claimed their first PBL championship.

The Pelicans struggled in the Spring 2019 season finishing with a 3-5 record tied for 4th place with CSR, and ultimately got knocked out of the playoffs due to a tie-breaker. At the close of the Spring 2019 Season, Pelicans BC Manager Braden Piper resigned his position back to original manager Charlie Fitzgibbon, and Charlie Fitzgibbon subsequently promoted Piper to the position of General Manager.

In the Fall 2019 Season, The Pelicans returned to form finishing the regular season in first place with a record of 8-2. The Pelicans subsequently fell to Secret 9 in the playoffs, once again dashing their hopes at another PBL Championship.

After the delay of the Spring 2020 Season due to Covid-19, the Pelicans put together a strong season in the Summer/Fall 2020 Season, finishing second overall behind only Parleaux Beer Labs, and securing their fifth appearance in the playoffs in the past six seasons. The Pels fell to the Rougarou in the playoffs, and thr Rougarou would ultimately go on to lose to Parleaux. Following the Summer/Fall 2020 Season Manager Charlie Fitzgibbon stepped down from the position as Manager/Skipper.

In the Spring of 2021, Braden Piper took over as the team manager, and the Pelicans once again had a strong season, finishing 7-3, second only to the Bayou St. John Blues. In a playoff/championship scheduled double-header on one of the hottest days in PBL history, the Pelicans fell to the Gentilly Giants in the playoffs, and the Giants would go on to win the championship over the Bayou St. John Blues.

The Pelicans struggled in the Fall of 2021 after the loss of key pitchers Dan April and John Nowaczyk. The Pelicans rebuild of their pitching staff began with the acquisition of a young player from Durham, North Carolina, Jack Leinbach. Finishing at 1-9 and last place, the Pelicans set their sights to next season.

Spring of 2022 saw the Pelicans gaining steam. With the addition of newcomer Donnie Davidson and the Gentilly three (by way of the Gentilly Giants): Lou Brown, Stanley Benion, Greg Pittman, and a surprise free agent signing of “Weebie” Mike Karam, the Pelicans roster grew in size and depth. The Pels posted a 4-6 record on the season landing in sixth place. Only two games back from the 2nd place position, the Pels optimistically welcomed another season of baseball.

In the Fall of 2022, the Pelicans found themselves in a three-way tie for 2nd place in the regular season with a 6-4 record, the same as the Gentilly Giants and Rougarou while the Fifth Ward Weebies sat comfortably in first. For a moment, the Bayou St. John Blues were also contending for a 6-4 record, but fell a win short having accepted a tie result earlier in the season. Despite holding the highest win percentage in the head-to-head matchup of the three-way tie, the Pelicans were deemed the 4-seed due to having a worse run differential than the other teams. Having lost to the Weebies in their sole matchup in regular season play, the Pels were ready for a rematch, and defeated the Weebies handily in the playoffs 9-1. After a rain delay for the originally scheduled PBL Championship, the Pelicans took their winning momentum to the championship against the Rougarou with an 8-0 victory to become the second team in PBL history to win multiple championships. The Pelicans playoff and championship wins were bolstered by two masterful pitching performances by starting pitcher, and Fall 2022 MVP Jack Leinbach with bullpen support from Charley “Hesh” Robichaux, Donnie Davidson, and RoY Ben Harrison; and all innings caught by rookie Joe Lewandowski. Pels veterans and rookies alike played some of the finest Pelican baseball in the final five games of the year with stellar defense, outstanding pitching, and aggressive offense. With their first championship in seven seasons, the Pelicans look to next season for some more great PBL baseball.