KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Growlers are excited to announce Cody Piechocki has been hired as the team's Field Manager. 2017 will be Piechocki's fifth season as a coach in the Northwoods League after serving as the Growlers hitting and fielding coach since 2014. Piechocki received his start in the Northwoods League in 2013 with the Battle Creek Bombers as an assistant coach before joining Kalamazoo for it’s inaugural season in 2014.

Piechocki is excited to be back in the blue and gold, “I am humbled by this opportunity. I have been a part of this organization since the beginning and love everything about Kalamazoo and the Growlers. From our fans, to our host families, our facilities, and this community. Kalamazoo is one of the top destinations in college summer baseball and I am beyond honored to be the new field manager.” stated Piechocki.  “This community has done an amazing job providing us with the resources to succeed at the highest level. I believe the 2016 season was just a glimmer of what is possible here in Kalamazoo. Setting new records for wins, all stars, and for attendance is the direction we want to be headed. We are working hard to bring in the best talent and the best people that are capable of representing our community at the highest level. We will continue to move this organization in a positive direction and it is my goal as field manager to bring professionalism and consistency to this organization on a night to night and year to year basis.”

Coach Piechocki enters his fifth season as head coach of the Kalamazoo Valley CC baseball program. The Cougars are coming off one of their best seasons in program history. In 2016 Valley received its first national ranking in program history, getting as high as #19 in the NJCAA poll. Under Piechocki’s guidance the Cougars also received the program’s first Rawling’s Gold Glove Award and first Marucci Elite Hitter Award in 2014. Valley has been honored by the NJCAA and MCCAA for team academic awards twice during Piechocki’s tenure. 

Previously, he spent three seasons as the assistant coach for Bernie Vallier in which time the program set the mark twice for wins in a season with 40 in 2012 and 35 in 2010. Piechocki spent two years, 2008 and 2009, as an assistant coach at Kalamazoo College where he served as the catcher/hitting coach as well as having a large role in the recruiting process. In 2007, Piechocki was a varsity assistant baseball coach at Mattawan High School where he worked primarily with the catchers and hitters.

Piechocki played baseball at Mattawan High School and one season at Glen Oaks Community College before suffering a career ending injury. He was a three-year varsity letter winner at Mattawan High School, and earned First Team All-SMAC, First Team All-District and Second Team All-Region honors as a catcher/third baseman. Piechocki is a graduate and proud alumni of Western Michigan University.

###

The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.growlersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Growlers as your favorite team.