Kalamazoo, MI – Cody Piechocki will return in 2022 for another season as the Growlers skipper. Piechocki, a Western Michigan University alum, has been with the Growlers since the franchise’s inaugural season in 2014. Starting out as an assistant coach in Kalamazoo, Piechocki now enters his sixth season as the field manager. Since taking over managerial duties, he has led the Growlers to three playoff appearances, including the 2020 pandemic modified season. Piechocki is a Kalamazoo area native and graduated from Mattawan High School, where he picked up a plethora of honors for his play on the diamond. After his college career was cut short due to injury, Piechocki found his way back to his alma mater to begin his coaching career as an assistant. During Piechocki’s time at Kalamazoo Valley CC, the program worked its way to its’ first-ever national ranking, climbing as high as 19th in the NJCAA. Though Piechocki started his Northwoods league along the other side of I-94 in Battle Creek, he has a record of four wins, three losses, and one tie in the I94 Cup rivalry cup series with Battle Creek. Growlers fans can look forward to another great season of player development and exciting play on the field with Piechocki at the helm, as well as more fun in the ballpark at Homer Stryker field in 2022.
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The Kalamazoo Growlers 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. Having completed its’ 27th season, the Northwoods 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 250 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 (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. 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.