Merrill currently serves as the Head Baseball Coach at Northern Iowa Area Community College

Ashwaubenon, Wis.- The Green Bay Rockers announced today the team has hired Josh Merrill as their new Field Manager. Merrill currently serves as the Head Baseball Coach at Northern Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) in Mason City, Iowa, where he has led the program since 2022. Merrill takes the reins from Chris Krepline, who was hired as the Director of Pitching Development at the University of Cincinnati after three seasons with the Rockers.

“My family and I are very excited to represent the Rockers this summer,” said Merrill. “I am very appreciative of Mark, Brian, and John for believing in me to come in and build upon success that has occurred in previous summers. We are working on bringing in a talented roster that is going to represent the Greater Green Bay area well every night.”

Merrill is no stranger to the summer collegiate baseball scene and the Northwoods League. He joins the Rockers after spending last summer leading the Johnstown Mill Rats in the Prospect League, where his team achieved a Northeast Division playoff appearance in his first year at the helm. Merrill has previous Northwoods League experience as a player pitching for the rival Wausau Woodchucks during the 2012 season. The move to the Rockers allows Merrill to return to the top summer collegiate league in the country while also putting him closer to his full-time job at NIACC.

“With his experience as a head coach in both the junior college and summer collegiate spectrums, along with his familiarity as a player in the Northwoods League, we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Josh into the Rockers family,” said John Fanta, General Manager of the Rockers. “He will have a great opportunity to build upon the culture that has been established here while putting his stamp on the brand of baseball that will define this new era.”

Merrill will be entering his third year as the head coach for the NIACC Trojans. During his two full years at the helm, his teams have won 48 games and have been to the Region 11 tournament both years. During Merrill’s time at NIACC, Trojan baseball has seen 16 players receive ICCAC All-Region Honors and one player named to the ABCA NJCAA Division II All-American team in 2023. Merrill has helped 32 players successfully transfer to four-year colleges during his time at NIACC and has simultaneously built an extensive network with other college coaches throughout the country.

Prior to his arrival in Mason City, Merrill was an assistant coach at the University of Southern Indiana for one season where he oversaw recruiting and worked with the offense, catchers, and outfielders. He was also an assistant coach for two years at Neosho County Community College.

A native of Wichita, Kansas, Merrill was a right-handed pitcher that started his career at Neosho County Community college where he was a part of back-to-back trips to the NJCAA D1 World Series. After Neosho County, he transferred to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and later King University. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Oklahoma State University. Merrill currently resides in Mason City with his wife and their four children.

Season ticket packages and Pep’s Drafthaus Flex Packs are on sale now. Visit www.greenbayrockers.com or call the ticket office at 920-497-7225 to reserve your seats today. The Rockers front office and Team Apparel Fan Shop at Capital Credit Union Park are located at 2231 Holmgren Way in Ashwaubenon. Office hours are Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm.

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The Green Bay Rockers 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. Now entering its 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 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, 360 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 (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network.  Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.greenbayrockers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rockers as your favorite team.