Growlers open with rivals Battle Creek & host 4th of July Red, White and Boom celebration

The Kalamazoo Growlers and the Northwoods League released its complete schedule today for the 2015 season (click here for 2015 Schedule). The Growlers home opener is set for Friday, May 29th against cross town rivals the Battle Creek Bombers.  The team also brings back the city's Independence day celebration of Red, White and Boom on Saturday, July 4th.  The Growlers open up the season on the road with against the Madison Mallards on May 26th. 

The Growlers will face off again against their rivals, the Battle Creek Bombers in two (2) day/night double headers where each team will play a game in both cities on the same day.  Those dates are set for June 29th with the 1st game set in Kalamazoo and 11:05am before the night cap at 7:05pm in Battle Creek at C.O. Brown Stadium.  The second day/night double header is July 13th with the morning game set for 11:05am in Battle Creek with the night cap back at Homer Stryker Field at 7:05pm.

The team will announce the official Promotions Schedule later this spring but season tickets, company outings and mini-plans including the all-new Growlers 6 game Packs are already being booked.  The official dates for the Growlers 6 game packs are also announced along with 3 options for fans to choose from.

The schedule is highlighted by 21 weekend games along with 5 Thursday night dates, 2 Wednesday dates, 3 Tuesdays and 5 Mondays.  All Monday-Saturday games will start at 7:05pm with Sunday games starting at 5:05pm with gates opening an hour prior to each.  The schedule features 18 teams, each playing 72 regular season games, along with a continuation from last season of scheduled doubleheaders and Inter-Division play.  

The Northwoods League, the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, will begin its 22nd season on Tuesday, May 26, when all teams take the field for summer collegiate baseball’s most extensive schedule, at 72 games. Northwoods League fans set an attendance record during the 2014 season when over 1 million fans attended games during the summer. The League, which plays two halves to determine playoff participants, will end the first half of play on June 30 with the second half beginning the following day.  The first and second half division winners from both the North and South divisions will meet in a best-of-three Divisional Playoff Series from August 10-12. The North and South Division Champions will then meet in a best-of-three series for the Summer Collegiate World Series from August 13-15.

The 2015 Northwoods League All-Star Game will return to Witter Field in Wisconsin Rapids on Tuesday, July 21. The Rafters last hosted the All-Star Game in 2011, which sold out prior to single game tickets going on sale and featured 33 players that went on to play professional baseball. Additional details regarding the 2015 All-Star festivities will be released at a later date. The Major League Dreams Showcase will take place at Warner Park, in Madison, for its third year on August 4, 2015. 

“We are excited to be going into our 22^nd season,” said Northwoods League President Dick Radatz, Jr. “It’s wonderful to reflect on where we started and where we are now with 18 teams, a 72-game schedule, our 21st All-Star Game and our third Major League Dreams Showcase.”

The full North and South printable schedules for the 2015 season can be found here: 2015 Schedules

The complete 2015 schedule can also be found on the league website by following this link and clicking view all dates. The schedule is also accessible on each individual team site by following the schedule link at the top of each site and clicking view all dates.

”The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit http://www.growlersbaseball.com."