CODY PIECHOCKI – FIELD MANAGER

2024 will be Piechocki’s ninth season as Growlers manager and 11th season as a coach in the Northwoods League. Piechocki received his start in the Northwoods League in 2013 with the Battle Creek Bombers as an assistant coach before joining Kalamazoo for its inaugural season in 2014. Piechocki claimed his first Northwoods League title in 2022.

Coach Piechocki recently left his head coahing position at Kalamazoo Valley Community College after nine seasons. 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.


Adam Kowalski – PITCHING COACH

Pitching coach Adam Kowalski will replace newly signed Battle Creek Battle Jacks manager Ben Harley and joins the Growlers after a pair of summers in the Western Canadian Baseball League. Originally from Arlington Heights, Ill. Kowalski started his playing career at Harper College in Palatine, Ill. before playing his final three seasons at Indiana Tech. Kowalski’s coaching career began as a volunteer assistant at Saginaw Valley State (2019-2020) before stops as the pitching coach for Northland College (2020-2021), his former alma mater, Harper (2021-2023) and Judson University (2023). A Chicago White Sox fan, Kowalski is the older brother of Amanda Kowalski who is a defenseman for the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars.

 


Nick Mayerhofer – HITTING COACH

Nick Mayerhofer will act as the Growlers hitting coach for the 2024 season. In his first year of coaching at Lenoir Ryhne University in Hickory, NC Mayerhofer will act as an infield and hitting coach. Mayerhofer played five seasons at the University of Illinois at Springfield, starting at shortstop for four. Making the NCAA D2 College World Series in 2022, Mayerhofer ended his career with the Prairie Stars second in program history in games played as well as defensive assists.

 

 

 

 


Nate Wargolet – ASSISTANT COACH

A familiar name coming to Kalamazoo this summer is former Growlers pitcher Nate Wargolet. Wargolet began his playing career at Kalamazoo Valley Community College pitching for the Cougars for three seasons before ending his career at Grand Valley State in Grand Rapids. Wargolet played two summers with the Growlers in 2019 and 2020, holding a 6-1 record and a 2.36 ERA across 42 innings. This spring, Wargolet will begin his first season as the pitching coach for Muskegon Community College.