Battle Creek, MI- The Battle Creek Bombers are thrilled to announce that pitching coach, Mike Ruppenthal, has been promoted to the role of Field Manager for the 2019 season.  2019 will mark Mike’s 2nd season in the Northwoods League, and 1st as manager of the Bombers. Mike served as the pitching coach for the Bombers in 2018, where he helped improve the team’s ERA and WHIP.

Ruppenthal is looking forward to returning to C.O. Brown Stadium, “Honored and truly blessed to be returning for another summer with the Battle Creek Bombers. Last summer in Battle Creek was such an unbelievable experience from the players, to the fans, to the front office and I can’t wait to get back there with a great group of guys that we think can compete for a championship.”

Tyler Shore, General Manager of the Battle Creek Bombers said “We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing Mike back to Battle Creek this summer. Seeing first hand his ability to connect with players and his leadership skills as our pitching coach last season made it an easy decision to bring him back as our Manager. His knowledge of the game and his passion for sharing that knowledge makes him a perfect fit to lead the Bombers this summer. His vision of impacting our players and this community on and off the field is exactly what we were looking for. With Mike at the helm, we look forward to returning to the Northwoods League Playoffs and bringing a championship back to our amazing fans here in Battle Creek.”

”Reflecting on last season’s experiences and the ups and downs of the season, Ruppenthal stated, “ Last summer was a roller coaster, but we finished the season really strong. We are looking forward to taking back the OnStaff I94 Crosstown Cup and bringing playoff baseball back to C.O. Brown. We have put together a tremendous roster of not only great baseball players, but great guys too. We are excited to impact the community both on and off the field.

Mike is currently in his first year as the pitching coach/recruiting coordinator at  Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. Prior to moving to Texas, Mike spent 2018 as the pitching coach at Bethany College (NAIA) in Kansas, guiding the pitching staff to 3rd in conference ERA. He worked as an instructor for Doyle Baseball in 2016-2017, and assisted in developing young athletes at a high level to prepare them for their athletic careers. Mike also spent time working at the Florida Baseball Ranch, where he gained knowledge of optimal training protocols and movement patterns for elite pitchers.

Mike was born and raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and played high school baseball at Brother Rice High School. He went on to play college baseball at Southeastern University (NAIA) in Lakeland, Florida. His father, Barry, played professional baseball in the Angels organization, and his brother, Matt, played at Vanderbilt University and is currently in the Houston Astros organization.

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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 25-year old summer collegiate 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 200 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC), Brandon Crawford (SFG) and Chris Sale (BOS). As well as MLB All-Stars Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIL). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.