The city of Brainerd had previously had an independent baseball team called the Bobcats, who played in the
Prairie League in 1997. The Prairie League folded after that season, and Brainerd was one of three former Prairie League markets that entered the Northwoods League in 1998. While the
Southern Minny Stars kept their branding, the
Grand Forks Channel Cats and Mighty Gulls established new identities. The Mighty Gulls played five seasons in the Northwoods League. While they never won a league championship, they finished as runner-up in their final season of 2002, falling to the
Waterloo Bucks in the championship series. After the 2002 season, the Mighty Gulls ceased operations. ==Mighty Gulls in MLB==