BATTLE CREEK – With a new front office, new head coach, mostly new players and an owner with a new vision, there has been a lot of planning and work over the past several months.
With opening day of the Northwoods League season now here, the Battle Creek Battle Jacks are hoping all of that hard work is going to pay off.
The Battle Jacks begin the 2026 summer collegiate league season on Monday, May 25. Battle Creek will start its campaign on the road with a two-game series at Royal Oak. The Battle Jacks start their home schedule on Wednesday, May 27, hosting Richmond.
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Scott Miles bought the franchise weeks before the 2025 campaign. After a year of observing the franchise, he spent the offseason building a new front office team, bringing in new field manager and putting together a roster that is ready to compete.
“We are all excited for the opening of a new era of Battle Jacks baseball,” said Battle Creek General Manager Sam Connell. “This is the first full season of new ownership, new management. There is a new emphasis on a new vision of what we are trying to build.
“There is a focus on the fan experience, focus on the community and even a focus on how how we want our players to play and what is expected of them.”
With new Head of Player Development Dave Walsh building the team, there is a buzz around the roster as well.
“The fan experience is important all around the Northwoods League and it’s important here as well. Everyone across the 26 teams in our league want to give people a good time when them come to the park and we do, too. And, we will,” Connell said. “But, we also want to bring a championship to Battle Creek. Having not been to the playoffs since the name change, we want to bring a winning team back to the Cereal City.”
New head coach Chris Fletcher is coming back to the Northwoods League after being an assistant in the league at Thunder Bay in 2015.
“I’m real stoked about the season starting,” Fletcher said. “One of those things with Scott taking over ownership and Dave putting the team together, and seeing their vision, it’s exciting. I’m encouraged about what’s going on and excited about the upcoming season.”
And, everone involved with putting the team together is excited to show it off in front of a lot of fans, which is why there are new prices geared to fill MCCU Field at C.O. Brown Stadium.
“We wanted to make sure this is affordable,” Connell said. “You are seeing everywhere, prices are going up. You can’t even go to a fast food restaurant for cheap anymore. We want to make our food affordable, our bleacher style seating has been set at $12 for our fans.
“We don’t want people feeling they are breaking the bank to come here. We want people coming here to feel like they are getting a reprieve from their day to day problems.”
Alternate Identity
The Battle Creek Battle Jacks on Monday officially unveiled their new alternate identity for the 2026 season: the Southwest Michigan Thunder Hogs, as the organization prepares for the opening homestand.
According to the team, “The Thunder Hogs identity honors Battle Creek’s rich aviation and military heritage, inspired by the legendary A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft once operated by the Battle Creek-based 110th Wing. Known throughout the military as the “Warthog,” the A-10 became a symbol of toughness, grit, resilience, and protecting those on the ground, values deeply connected to both Battle Creek and Southwest Michigan.”
“This isn’t borrowed history. This is Battle Creek history,” said Battle Jacks owner Scott Miles. “The A-10 flew here. The pilots trained here. The 110th Wing built its legacy here. Over time, the toughness, grit, resilience, and protect-your-own mentality represented by that aircraft became deeply connected to this community itself. The Thunder Hogs identity was built to honor Battle Creek first and extend that pride across Southwest Michigan.”
New Partnership
The Battle Creek Battle Jacks today announced a new partnership with Tony & Tucci’s Baseball Card Shop that will bring a first-of-its-kind sports card and memorabilia experience directly into the team store at MCCU Field during the 2026 season.
The organization also announced the addition of Tony Iovieno as Senior Advisor to Ownership and the Front Office as the franchise continues to expand its leadership team and fan experience initiatives heading into the 2026 season.
The partnership will introduce hobby-focused experiences, memorabilia displays, collector events, and interactive fan activations as part of the organization’s continued effort to turn every game at MCCU Field into an event.
Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: What’s New With the Battle Jacks? 2026 summer collegiate baseball begins
Reporting by Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
