So the Prospect League is a newcomer to summer collegiate baseball?

Not so fast.

While the name might be new, the Prospect League will bring with it a colorful history as its 11 teams get set for the 2009 season.

Six franchises, DuBois County, Danville, Springfield, DuPage and Quincy in Illinois and Hannibal, Mo., were members of the Central Illinois Collegiate League, which was formed in 1963 as a charter member of NCAA certified summer baseball.

More than 170 former and current major league players once played in the CICL, including Jeff Brantley, Gary Gaetti, Joe Niekro, Jonathan Papelbon and Rick Reuschel.

During the offseason, the six CICL teams elected to add five expansion teams to form the Prospect League.

The additions include the Butler BlueSox, Slippery Rock Sliders, Chillicothe (Ohio) Paints, North Coast Knights, based in Lorain, Ohio, and the Richmond (Ind.) RiverRats.

The Prospect League is one of 10 leagues affiliated with the National Association of Summer Collegiate Baseball.

With five states now represented in the league, many fans will be able to take in what promises to be a memorable baseball outing.

"We are looking to incorporate a minor league experience," said Bryan Wickline, president of the Prospect League and vice president and general manager of the Chillicothe team, which formerly played in the Frontier League.

"What we believe is going to really catch people's eye are the facilities," he added. "We have a lot of great ballparks in the league."

Included in those are Critchfield Park, home of the Slippery Rock Sliders, and Pullman Park, home of the BlueSox.

As for the caliber of play, Wickline is confident fans will be treated to great play on the field.

"We are going to be one of the elite college summer leagues," he said. "Our goal is for it to be a balanced league across the board, with good players on every team. But we'll never know until the teams take the field."

Every team's roster will be made up of players who have completed at least one season of college baseball while also having at least one year of eligibility left.

The Prospect League will be divided into two divisions, East and West. After the regular season ends in August, the two division winners will face off in a best-of-three series to determine the league champion.

Butler County will be the only county within the league that will be represented by two teams.

At least for now.

"We are looking to expand again next year, which will include more great ballparks," said Wickline. "I'd hate to put a number on it now, but there will be more than 11 teams next season."