Background and formation On September 9, 2024, the Frontier League announced that it had awarded an expansion franchise to
Pearl, Mississippi, following the Mississippi Braves' previously announced relocation to
Columbus, Georgia. The announcement ensured that professional baseball would continue at Trustmark Park after 20 seasons of Mississippi Braves baseball. The franchise was initially announced under the placeholder name "On Deck 2025" while a public name-the-team contest was conducted. Joseph Eng was announced as the team's owner. David Kerr was named assistant general manager in October 2024, with responsibilities including sales, marketing, and fan engagement. Andrew Seymour was named general manager in December 2024.
Name and branding Fans were given three choices in the team's name-the-team contest: "Mississippi Mud Monsters", "Mississippi Grits", and "Mississippi Soul Shakers". The contest ran from September 9 through September 26, 2024. The team's logo was revealed on October 10, 2024, with a catfish as the primary mark. The team's official color palette includes Deep Teal, Murky Aquamarine, Cypress Green, Phantom Mint, Pirate Gold, and black. In April 2025, the Mud Monsters unveiled their inaugural uniforms. The initial set included teal, white, and black jersey options, three matching pant options, and two hat choices, allowing for 18 uniform combinations. The uniforms included a custom number style called "Creature Flow", which featured drip-like forms designed to match the team's branding. In April 2026, the team launched MonstersStore.com as the named online home of its official team shop. The store was described as carrying Mud Monsters merchandise including on-field caps, jerseys, T-shirts, novelty items, and limited-edition gear drops.
Ballpark partnerships In January 2025, the Mud Monsters and
Belhaven University announced a partnership for Trustmark Park to serve as the home of Belhaven Blazers baseball from 2025 through 2030. Under the agreement, Belhaven's NCAA Division III baseball program would use Trustmark Park for games, practices, and showcases.
Trustmark Park operations and events In September 2025, the Mud Monsters announced that Trustmark Park would replace its infield dirt and grass with synthetic turf. The organization said Spectrum Entertainment would install Major Play Matrix synthetic turf covering more than 40,000 square feet. The turf project followed several rainouts and field-condition issues at the ballpark, including an Ole Miss–Southern Miss game in 2023 that was cancelled during play because of infield sod conditions. During the Mud Monsters' first year operating Trustmark Park, the ballpark hosted additional community and non-baseball events. In 2025, the ballpark hosted Main Street Pearl's Oktoberfest during the day and MonstoBEERfest, a ticketed beer festival, that evening. Later that year, Trustmark Park hosted The Southern Lights, a walk-through holiday attraction featuring more than 2.5 million lights, real-ice skating, fire pits, and train rides. In 2026, Trustmark Park was selected to host the MLB HBCU Power Series, a multi-day HBCU baseball showcase held in conjunction with Major League Baseball. The event was scheduled for February 12–15 and included Texas Southern, Prairie View A&M, Alabama A&M, Grambling State, Jackson State, and Alcorn State. The 2026 Mississippi Farm Bureau Governor's Cup at Trustmark Park drew 8,223 fans and was announced as a sellout.
Inaugural season On January 13, 2025, the Mud Monsters announced Jay Pecci as their inaugural field manager. The first player announced by the franchise was outfielder Brayland Skinner, a Lake Cormorant, Mississippi native and former Mississippi State player who was part of the Bulldogs' 2021 national championship team. The Mud Monsters played their inaugural game at Trustmark Park on May 8, 2025, against the Florence Y'alls, winning 13–2. The game drew 4,552 fans and marked the Frontier League's debut in Mississippi. Skinner scored the first run in franchise history in the bottom of the first inning, and catcher Victor Diaz recorded the team's first hit one inning later. The Mud Monsters completed their inaugural season in 2025 with a 49–47 record, finishing third in the Midwest Conference and missing the Frontier League playoffs. During the 2025 season, two Mud Monsters pitchers signed with Major League Baseball organizations. Left-handed pitcher Zack Morris signed with the Colorado Rockies in June 2025, becoming the first player in franchise history to sign with an MLB organization. Right-handed pitcher Michael Fowler later signed with the Milwaukee Brewers after pitching for Mississippi. == Mascot ==