By Sedric Granger

Battle Creek, MI – On the morning of Thursday, June 8th, the Battle Creek Battle Jacks players and staff alongside volunteers from the Battle Creek community convened at Kellogg’s headquarters to volunteer.

“It is so exciting to have the players here,” said Mary Lynn Falbe who is the Senior Executive Secretary for the Global Treasury Team at Kellogg’s. “Most of them are not from Battle Creek so it gives them a chance to grow closer to the city. It is also great for the employees here at Kellogg’s that are from all over to see the players, Russell the mascot, Brutus the bat dog, the crew, and the coaches.”

The players and staff each formed two assembly lines to streamline the process of packing rice crispy treats, cereal, and other Kellogg’s snacks into lunch bags. These food bags were given out to people in the community. In order to add some friendly competition, the guys on the team and the Battle Jacks staff had a contest on who could pack the most bags in the time span. That race brought a lot of smiles as each of the teams had fun serving the community.

For a majority of the team, the event at Kellogg’s was not their first time doing community outreach. Many of the players on the Battle Jacks have maximized their opportunities to help out at their respective schools.

“We were really big around Christmas time at William Penn,” said utility player Nick George (William Penn University) when asked about the impact his team makes in Oskaloosa, Iowa. We helped organize the event and did parking and traffic for the local Christmas Parade. That was one of my favorite things to do to get both the kids involved and the magic of Christmas involved while showing that our baseball team is more than just a baseball team.”

One of the biggest challenges for Northwoods League players is the fact that many players have to leave their college towns and hometowns to go to a completely new place. However, even though most of the players have only been in town for a short while, the Battle Creek players have already felt a lot of love from the city. 

“Battle Creek has been treating us well!” said pitcher Tre Benjamin (Western Illinois University). “Fans come out every game, and they have been supportive both on and off the field. I have worn Battle Jacks gear outside and while eating at restaurants, and it means a lot to me to hear people say good things when passing by.”

To the organization as a whole, getting the chance to give back was an awesome experience. The Battle Creek Battle Jacks are more than just a baseball team. They are a group of players and staff that strive to make Battle Creek a better place each and every day, showcasing why the Battle Jacks truly are a fan’s best friend.

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The Battle Creek Battle Jacks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 27th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, over 250 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.battlejacksbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set Battle Creek as your favorite team.