BATTLE CREEK – This isn’t our same old Battle Creek Battle Jacks team.
For that matter, this also isn’t your same old Northwoods League team.
Think new. Think improved.
That’s the plan and the promise when it comes to the 2026 version of the Battle Creek Battle Jacks, according to franchise owner Scott Miles.
Miles took over ownership of Battle Creek’s Northwoods League team just weeks before the beginning of last season. Now, with a year of summer collegiate baseball experience, Miles has a vision for what he wants the franchise to look like.
And, the result he says is going to be a new and improved Battle Creek Battle Jacks team, starting with the team’s home opener on Wednesday, May 27 at MCCU Field at C.O. Brown Stadium.
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“When I came in here last year, I was excited about being here. I saw great opportunity,” Miles said. “Last year was year of observing, taking notes. This year, our plan is to put our fingerprints on the business and on the fan experience, when they come to the stadium.
“I have a vision for this team and want to execute on that vision. And, over the last six to eight months, we have been sprinting forward with a lot of changes to reach that vision.”
As the Northwoods League summer collegiate baseball season starts with the Battle Jacks on the road on Monday, May 25 at Royal Oak, those changes are wide ranging, focused on an improved player experience, an enhanced fan experience, all the way to better play on the field.
“This is the opportunity for us to show what the new ownership fingerprints look like and to give this city something it deserves – a solid, great baseball team,” Miles said. “My vision is to build a professional organization and I want people to see that when they walk in the stadium.
“My experience, from my career, is building businesses and this is just another start up mentality here. Which means you build around great people, build a great culture and you deliver on a product.”
Coming Wednesday in the Enquirer:
What’s New with the Battle Jacks: Building a Winning Team
Coming Thursday in the Enquirer:
What’s New with the Battle Jacks: Investment in the Future
New Faces
Those ‘great people’ include a mostly new front office and entirely new coaching staff.
Formerly known as the Battle Creek Bombers, this summer will be the fifth Northwoods League season as the Battle Creek Battle Jacks. The biggest immediate changes for the longtime Battle Creek franchise came in the front office. Changes in leadership came in the form of a new general manager, new field manager and a first-ever Head of Baseball Strategy position.
“We’re raising the bar with a seasoned, high-energy leadership team, and it’s already paying off,” said Miles. “We’ve hit the ground running, not just with elite early player signings, but also on the business side with identified key opportunities for us to make an immediate impact as a new management group,” said Miles during the offseason.
Sam Connell, a Michigan native and former collegiate player, was named the new General Manager of the Battle Jacks and is excited for the season and the new vision.
“The biggest thing is an improved emphasis on the fan experience. Making sure the moment they walk in to the moment they leave, from food service to the play on the field, make this place more welcoming for fans and make it an exciting place for the community to gather for 36 nights a year,” Connell said.
Chris Fletcher will take over as the new manager of the Battle Jacks. Currently the head coach at Moberly Area Community College in Missouri, Fletcher brings 12 years of coaching experience, including five years as a collegiate head coach.
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.
In-Game Experience
Miles said he spent the offseason listening to fans.
“The No. 1 piece of feedback I got was wanting a better fan experience, and with that, wanting improved food and beverage,” Miles said.
Along those lines, the Battle Jacks hired a new hospitality and food and beverage manager and made that an emphasis. And, with that, reduced pricing for food and for tickets.
“We want to provide people an experience. In past years, it was about trying to mass produce food. Typically, when food is mass produced, you get a dipping quality. So, what we are aiming for is, when you get presented your food, when you get the hot dog in your hand, it’s going to look better, completely different presentation to it. And, that’s not just for hot dogs, it’s for all the food we are doing. Everything that we do that is going to be reflective in that presentation. It’s an experience. It’s not transactional,” said Gregory Pietsch, Senior Director of Operations & Hospitality.
There will be daily theme nights, a summer concert series, an expanded promotions calendar – all of which will be rolled out throughout the season.
“Having come to games last year, kind of as a fan, it felt like some evenings had a lot of energy and some evenings didn’t,” Miles said. “As a front office, we had the conversation that every night there is something for somebody and every night is a first game for somebody, so we need to have excitement here each night.”
Community engagement
With all the improvements, the biggest hurdle for the Battle Jacks is getting the fans back to see what they might have been missing.
There is expanded seating this year at MCCU Field at C.O. Brown Stadium as the team took off the tarps that covered the bleachers. And, there is a renewed emphasis on becoming a partner with the community.
“This past offseason, we have been trying to incorporate the community a lot more,” said Sophie Crossley, Senior Manager of Community Engagement & Fan Experience. “We want to put ourselves out there and tie ourselves more to our community, supporting local business, go to events with our team and our mascot Russell, showing our support to our community. All of that shows we want to be part of this community and hopefully the people will see that and support us as well.”
Miles believes all of his efforts are going to provide a new and improved experience for baseball fans in Battle Creek. And, eventually, make MCCU Field at C.O. Brown Stadium the summer destination for Battle Creek.
“We’re doing all of this for the fans. Like the tarps. We took the opportunity to take off the tarps, create more seating, affordable bleacher seating, because we want people to come back,” Miles said. “We want to bring back what the visual appeal of this stadium. We have a big, beautiful stadium and we will have a team Battle Creek will be proud of.
“And, the goal is to fill that stadium with as many people as possible. That’s our goal.”
Contact Bill Broderick 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? Owner has a new vision for the franchise
Reporting by Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
