The core of the Knights team was formed in 1983 under the sponsorship of
the Fargo Knights of Columbus. The team consisted of all local
players, paying their own travel and lodging expenses,
hoping to become the best team they could possibly be. Competing mostly
at the North Dakota state level in the early years, the Knights have
progressed and have had success at the top level of mens' fastpitch
softball.
In 1998, the Knights won the ASA Class A National championship in
Decatur, AL., a goal
they set for themselves in 1987 when they first tasted success outside
of North Dakota by
finishing 7th in the national tournament in Redding, CA. Besides
winning the 1998 nationals, the Knights
have finished in the top 10 multiple times in the ASA Class A National
Tournament.
In 1999, the Knights surprised the fastpitch softball world by
winning their first 3 games in the ISC World Tournament in Sioux City,
Iowa, by knocking off what was considered to be superior opponents.
They finished the tournament in a tie for 9th place.
The ISC World Tournament is the Grand-Daddy of them all with all the top
fastpitch players in the world competing. Teams include players from
the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia,
South American countries, etc. While the top team's budgets are in the
hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Knights compete at a miniscule
fraction of that figure.
In 2001, the Knights again finished in a tie for 9th place at the
ISC World Tournament in Eau Claire, WI. Over the last few years, the Knights
have consistently ranked in the top 20 teams in the world.
After a 2 win, 2 loss showing in the 2002 ISC World in Kitchener,
Ontario, the Knights once again advanced to the championship bracket in
the 2003 ISC World in Kimberly, WI. The Knights only loss in pool play
was an 11 inning loss to eventual world champion Broken Bow Spirit.
After 10 scoreless innings, the Spirit scored 3 runs in the top of the
11th for the victory. The Knights lost to 6th place finisher Midland
Explorer in a heartbreaker, 2-1 in the playoffs. In addition, the
Knights took 3rd in the NAFA AAA World Series and 2nd in the ASA Class A
National Tournament.
The 2004 Fargo IS Knights hosted the World Tournament and finished 3-1
in pool play and 1-1 in the playoffs for a 4-2 record and a 10th place
finish.
The 2005 Fargo IS Knights maintain the tradition started in 1983. They
remain largely a regional team, with the majority of the team living in
the Fargo-Moorhead area. All but one player lives within a 250 mile radius
of Fargo. They remain a small budget team with travel via the highway,
rather than through the air. If that means getting home in the wee hours of
Monday morning following a weekend tournament and a 12-hour drive, the
players are willing to make that commitment for the love of the game and for
the love of their teammates.
The 2005 Fargo IS Knights
won their second National/World Championship when they won the NAFA Class
AAA/Open World Championship in North Mankato, Minnesota in August.
In 2006, the Knights took on
the name of the
MinnDak Millers to reflect a new direction in their sponsorship.
That year, they finished an
impressive fourth place at the ASA Major National Championship in South Bend,
Indiana.
Their schedule will allow
them to compete against the best teams in the world during the regular season.
With a very young roster,
seeing good pitching and playing at a high level of competition will be very
important in getting the Millers ready to compete in Stevens Point (ASA Major National)
and Kimberly (ISC World Tournament).
