Growlers Unveil Full Roster for 2026
[KALAMAZOO, MI] – The Kalamazoo Growlers are excited to unveil their preseason roster for the 2026 season as they look to build upon two Northwoods League Championships since 2022.
Back in the ‘Zoo
The Growlers 2026 roster will see eight returners from the 2025 team, including Jack Crittendon (Northwood), the Growlers record holder for pitching wins in a single-season. Jeremiah Holder (Villanova) will return after finishing fourth on last season’s team in innings pitched, and continuing to grow in college, making 20 appearances for Villanova during the collegiate season. On the hitting side, Trevor Johnson (Duke) finished fourth among qualified Growlers in on-base percentage a year ago and will also return to the confines of Homer Stryker Field in 2026. In the infield, Case Sullivan (Valparaiso) appeared in nine games and recorded 32 at-bats and will return as a shortstop option for Kalamazoo.
Additionally, Bryce Brassfield (Saint Cloud St.), who went 4-0 with a 4.19 ERA one year ago will join the Growlers for his third season. Brassfield threw four scoreless innings in the playoffs and earned the win in Kalamazoo’s 2024 championship game.
“We’re very excited for the returning faces to the team this year. These are guys with playoff experience who will be valuable to our team from game 1 to 72,” Growlers head coach Cody Piechocki said.
Conference Ties
The Growlers will roster 18 players from power five programs in 2026, with the ACC boasting the most players with seven from the conference. Five Big Ten programs will send players in 2026, including Josh Campbell (Michigan) who will bring his talents to Kalamazoo after recording a .348 on-base percentage in 30 games played in the Wolverine outfield. Charlie Wortham (Mississippi State) and Hutson Chance (Tennessee) are two of the four position players that will represent the Southeastern Conference.
The Mid-American Conference is well represented on the 2026 roster, featuring five players including Peyton Williams (Kent State) who has recorded a 2.55 ERA through 17.2 innings and will join the Growlers this season.
What to Watch
Kalamazoo will showcase one of the strongest outfields in the Northwoods League in 2026. Trevor Johnson, Josh Campbell, and Hutson Chance will add two more power five hitters around them in the outfield, as Chase Thomas (Texas Tech) and Brock Sell (Stanford) join. Additionally, 2025 Northwoods League All-Star Joshua Algarin (Walsh) will move to Kalamazoo from Battle Creek after hitting .366 while driving in 48 runs through 61 games as a Battle Jack.
The Growlers’ outfield a year ago showcased plenty of flash and power in Jayce Lee and Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe who held a .421 and .413 on-base percentage respectively, however that outfield lacked a true third option. This season, Cody Piechocki and staff were particular about their outfield.
“We have a number of legitimate options in our outfield who are going to spend the summer battling one another. No doubt we’ll have the best outfield in the league this year,” Piechocki said.
Coaching Staff
Cody Piechocki returns to the Growlers for his 11th year and 14th in the Northwoods League. Piechocki is fifth all-time in Northwoods League history in career wins and is tied for fourth all-time in career playoff victories.
Greg Wright (pitching) and Eamon Horwedel (assistant) will join Piechocki’s staff after both being with the Growlers a year ago. Wright managed a pitching staff that watched pitchers Jack Crittendon and Adam Berghorst be named to the league All-Star team. Horwedel will spend his second summer as a coach in Kalamazoo, but is maybe best known for his time on the mound, where he won two championships and set a Northwoods League record for wins in a career. Horwedel is only the second player to be named to the Kalamazoo Growlers hall of fame.
Parker Kauffmann (hitting) is the only new coach on the Growlers staff in 2026. Kauffmann spent last season as an assistant in Battle Creek and has spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Delta State University.
The full roster is as follows (alphabetical order):
Pitchers
RJ Anglin – Huntington
Wolfgang Braasch – Texas Tech
Bryce Brannon – Duke
Bryce Brassfield – Saint Cloud State
Bryan Carney – Olivet
Logan Cotton – Indiana
Jack Crittendon – Northwood
Christian Forniss – Northwestern
Jeremiah Holder – Villanova
Brody Houseman – Kalamazoo Valley CC
JJ Manion – Grand Valley State
Tyler Marx – Kalamazoo Valley CC
Coleman Morrison – Drury University
Michael Murphy – Xavier
Riley Niggemeyer – Madonna
Kyle O’Hearn – Grand Rapids CC
Hunter Pudlo – Jacksonville State
Henry Slaby – Eastern Michigan
Peyton Williams – Kent State
Chris Worley – Virginia
Catchers
Charlie Caruso – Northwestern
Carson Hintz – Benedictine College (KS)
Mitchell Morton – Xavier
Charlie Wortham – Mississippi State
Infielders
Alex Adams – Air Force
Brandon De Goti – Miami (FL)
Nick Frontino – Mississippi State
Peter Heintz – Grand Rapids CC
Brady Marshall – Kent State
Tylor Morehouse – Kellogg CC
Jack Reynolds – South Carolina
Landon Stewart – Air Force
Case Sullivan – Valparaiso
Teddy Tokheim – Stanford
Connor Walsh – Eastern Michigan
Nate Webb – Belmont
Outfielders
Bryce Adams – Wabash Valley
Joshua Algarin – Walsh
Josh Campbell – Michigan
Hutson Chance – Tennessee
Zaid Diaz – Troy
Trevor Johnson – Duke
Brock Sell – Stanford
Chase Thomas – Texas Tech
Coaching Staff
Cody Piechocki – Manager
Eamon Horwedel – Assistant
Parker Kauffmann – Hitting Coach
Greg Wright – Pitching Coach
