BATTLE CREEK – As a businessman, Battle Creek Battle Jacks owner Scott Miles wants to have people in the seats, fans in line at the concession stands and merchandise flying off the shelves.
As a baseball fan, Miles also wants to see his team win.
In a perfect world, he would have both. But, Miles says winning games comes first.
“I didn’t buy a baseball team to not win ball games,” Miles said. “I appreciate improving the fan experience here and I want to see improved ticket sales, but at the end of the day as a baseball purist, I want a competitive, good team on the field.”
MORE: What’s New with the Battle Jacks – Part 1
With that in mind, he has a different approach to how he believes most of the rest of the Northwoods League operates.
“We are probably the only team in the Northwoods League that has a head of baseball operations person. That person handles everything between the white lines, building a roster, finding a coaching staff, identifying a culture for our team,” Miles said.
He will find out if his way of building a team will work right away as the season starts next week. The 2026 Battle Creek Battle Jacks will play its home opener for this year’s Northwoods League season on Wednesday, May 27 at MCCU Field at C.O. Brown Stadium. The actual Northwoods League summer collegiate baseball season starts with the Battle Jacks on the road on Monday, May 25 at Royal Oak.
David Walsh Jr. has been named the team’s first-ever Head of Baseball Strategy, a front office advisory role focused on long-term player development, recruiting infrastructure and baseball operations.
“We have an idea of what we want our pitching to look like, what our offense looks like. It is all based on constructing a team that is geared toward our home ball park in Battle Creek,” Walsh said. “I’m from Boston and Scott is from New Jersey, blue collar guys, gritty guys as a player and coach. That’s the philosophy we had in making up the team. Players not afraid to get dirty, play hard.”
Miles added that the front office was very specific in the type of player it needed for each position.
“We have a big outfield, so we were only looking at outfielders who ran a certain time in the 60 (yard dash). We need fast guys, and if they didn’t have that time, we didn’t look at them,” Miles said. “We want thumpers on the corners in the infield, athletes up the middle. And, because we have a pitcher’s park, we need good pitching throughout. We were very intentfull in creating the roster.”
Walsh likes the entire roster that has been put together, but he does have some players he wants fans to watch for early in the year.
Jackson Phelps will look to lead the starting rotation from the pitching mound. From Malone University, Phelps was recently named South Division Pitcher of the Week by the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Late in the season, he recorded 12 strikeouts in his final collegiate start. Also on the staff is Michigan State University pitcher Ben Kochany.
Leading the bullpen is Jacob Janisko, who pitched this season for Moberly Area Community College and has signed to pitch next year for the University of Missouri.
One of the defensive standouts is expected to be Sonnier Moses, an infielder from Prairie View A&M, who played in the Northwoods League last year in Bismark.
The offensive lineup is expected to be led by Henry Ferguson as well as Kyle Hartmann. Ferguson plays for East Tennessee State University and Hartmann comes from Lake Land College.
Leading the group will be field manager Chris Fletcher.
“Really excited about the group we have coming in this summer,” Fletcher said. “We aren’t dripping with a lot of Power 5 guys, we have a few, but we don’t have a full roster of those kinds of guys. But, the guys we do have want to win, they want to do what it takes to win. They want to get better, want to showcase their skills. And, all of those things are a good balance for us.”
Miles is excited about the group as well.
“We have a team of a bunch of grinders, players with a chip on their shoulder, which matches the history and toughness of Battle Creek,” Miles said. “Expectations are that we are going to win a lot of ball games this year.”
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? A look at the 2026 roster
Reporting by Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
