45 Wins, Franchise Records and Draft History Highlight Pit Spitters’ 2026 Season

Traverse City, MI – August 13, 2026 – The Traverse City Pit Spitters wrapped up their 2026 season last weekend, closing the book on a memorable eighth summer at Turtle Creek Stadium.

From 45 victories and a pair of tightly contested division races to franchise records, MLB Draft history and another summer of packed crowds in Northern Michigan, the 2026 season provided plenty of milestones both on and off the field.

Turtle Creek Stadium welcomed 80,146 fans across 34 openings, an average of 2,357 per game—the second-highest average
attendance in the Northwoods League. Traverse City’s total attendance ranked third among the league’s 26 ballparks. A season-high 4,515 fans packed Turtle Creek Stadium on August 7.

Under second-year field manager and reigning Northwoods League Manager of the Year Todd Reid, the Pit Spitters finished 45-27 overall, tied for the third-most wins in a season in franchise history. Traverse City also finished with the best overall record in the Great Lakes Division for the second consecutive summer and tied for the most wins across the Northwoods League in 2026.

Despite the overall success, Traverse City narrowly missed the postseason in both halves. The Pit Spitters finished the first half 21-15, one-half game behind Kenosha, before going 24-12 in the second half and finishing tied with Royal Oak. The Leprechauns claimed the second-half playoff berth through the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Reid, who has been part of the Pit Spitters coaching staff since the inaugural 2019 season and contributed to Northwoods League championships in 2019 and 2021, now owns a 94-49 (.657) record through his first two summers as field manager.

Two players in particular rewrote the Traverse City record book in 2026: Western Michigan infielder Ethan Guerra and Maryville College left-hander Kyle Timko.

Guerra became the first Pit Spitter in franchise history to appear in all 72 regular-season games. He established new Traverse City single-season records with eight home runs and 63 RBIs while also becoming the franchise’s all-time home run leader with 11. The veteran infielder finished the summer with 278 at-bats, 70 hits, 54 walks and 63 RBIs. His 72 games and 278 at-bats led the Northwoods League, while his RBI and walk totals placed him among the league leaders.

Timko became the workhorse of the Traverse City pitching staff, setting franchise single-season records with 74 innings pitched and 13 starts. The left-hander finished 7-2 with a 3.89 ERA and 1.32 WHIP while issuing only 14 walks. His 74 innings led the Northwoods League, and his seven victories tied for the league lead.

Traverse City also sent three pitchers to the Northwoods League All-Star Game at the Field of Dreams Movie Site in Dyersville, Iowa. Right-handers Connor Kelly of Northwood University, Bryce Suiter of Texas Tech and Charlie Wolf of Princeton represented the Great Lakes Division on July 8. The Great Lakes defeated the Great Plains 4-2, with Wolf among the pitchers contributing to the victory.

There were plenty of memorable stretches throughout the 72-game schedule.
Traverse City put together a 12-game home winning streak at Turtle Creek Stadium from June 8 through July 12 and finished the summer 27-9 at home—a .750 winning percentage.

No opponent saw more of the Pit Spitters’ success than the I-131 rival Kalamazoo Growlers. Traverse City finished a franchise-best 11-1 against Kalamazoo, winning the final 11 meetings of the season series. The Growlers have not won at Turtle Creek Stadium since June 12, 2025, a streak that will carry into next summer.
One of the biggest offensive nights of the season came July 10 at Kalamazoo, when the Pit Spitters erupted for season highs in runs and hits during a 19-12 victory. Traverse City followed with 17 more runs the following night, totaling 36 runs and six home runs during the two-game sweep.

Under hitting coach Ryan Gillings, Traverse City featured one of the most difficult lineups in the league to put away. The Pit Spitters finished the summer with the fewest strikeouts in the Northwoods League while also ranking among the league’s top five teams in stolen bases.

The pitching staff supplied its share of standout moments under pitching coach Mason Hill and assistant coach Aaron Forrest. Traverse City recorded two shutouts during the summer, blanking Kalamazoo on June 5 before four pitchers combined on a three-hit, 5-0 shutout at Richmond on July 25. The Pit Spitters finished the season allowing the fewest walks in the Northwoods League while
ranking among the top five in team ERA.

Late-inning drama also became a familiar sight at Turtle Creek Stadium. Traverse City recorded four walk-off victories at home during the summer.

One of the most memorable came August 2 against Richmond, when the Pit Spitters entered the eighth inning trailing 7-1 before scoring seven unanswered runs. Five came in the bottom of the ninth, capped by Zach Carlson’s bases-loaded single that scored the tying and winning runs in an 8-7 victory.

Traverse City finished the regular season with five consecutive victories, its second-longest winning streak of the summer, and won six of its final seven contests. The closing surge pushed the Pit Spitters to a season-best 18 games above .500 at 45-27.

The success surrounding Traverse City stretched well beyond the 2026 roster.

The July MLB Draft became the most productive in franchise history, with seven current and former Pit Spitters selected and four more signing undrafted free-agent agreements. In total, 11 players with Traverse City ties joined nine Major League organizations.

The class was headlined by 2024 Pit Spitters catcher Vahn Lackey, who became the highest draft pick in franchise history when the Minnesota Twins selected the Georgia Tech standout third overall. Later in the first round, another member of the 2024 Traverse City roster came off the board when the Colorado Rockies selected Georgia catcher and Golden Spikes Award winner Daniel Jackson with the 37th overall pick.

It marked the first time in Pit Spitters history that two alumni were selected in the first round of the same draft.

Aaron Piasecki, who played for Traverse City in 2024 and 2025 and owns the Northwoods League’s all-time career batting average record, was selected by the Houston Astros in the eighth round with the 241st overall pick.

Current Pit Spitters catcher Dalton Harper also heard his name called, going to the Atlanta Braves in the 16th round with the 472nd overall selection after appearing in four games for Traverse City during 2026.

Parker Brosius, Dominic Mauro and Santiago Garcia rounded out the seven drafted Pit Spitters, while Tyler Minnick, Mason Patel, Ciaran Caughey and Dylan Carey signed as undrafted free agents.

The summer also brought alternate identities to Turtle Creek Stadium.

On July 31, the Pit Spitters brought back Northern Michigan Dune Bears, donning uniforms and branding inspired by one of the region’s most recognizable landmarks, Sleeping Bear Dunes. More than 30 game-worn jerseys were auctioned to fans following the game.

The Dune Bears were part of a summer filled with specialty uniforms and theme nights. Traverse City also donned its Cherry Capital uniforms during Wednesday home games in partnership with Cherry Capital Airport, along with specialty jerseys for Star Wars Night and the Fourth of July America’s 250th celebration.

Star Wars Night was among the featured promotions on the organization’s 2026 schedule. The Fourth of July uniforms were worn July 3 as the Pit Spitters completed three consecutive Fireworks Nights to open the holiday weekend, adding to a summer of promotions, specialty jerseys and community-focused nights at Turtle Creek Stadium.

While the 2026 season ended just short of another postseason appearance, Traverse City again established itself among the Northwoods League’s most successful clubs—finishing with 45 wins, packing Turtle Creek Stadium throughout the summer, sending three players to the All-Star Game and watching a record-setting group of alumni take the next step toward professional baseball.

The Traverse City Pit Spitters will return to Turtle Creek Stadium in May 2027 for their ninth season in the Northwoods League.

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About the Traverse City Pit Spitters: The Traverse City Pit Spitters have been members of the Northwoods League since their inaugural season in 2019. The Pit Spitters have won two Northwoods League Championships and delivered their unique brand of FUN to hundreds of thousands of fans. The Pit Spitters share Managing Partners and principal ownership with the West Michigan Whitecaps, the High A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, based in Comstock Park, Michigan. The team’s home games are played in Traverse City’s favorite multi-purpose outdoor entertainment venue, Turtle Creek Stadium. For more information visit https://northwoodsleague.com/traverse-city-pit-spitters/ or contact Jacqueline Holm at 231-943-0100 Ext. 214/ or by email at JacquelineH@pitspitters.com.

The Pit Spitters Are Cashless: Beginning in 2025, Turtle Creek Stadium transitioned to a fully cashless operation to enhance fan safety, streamline transactions, and improve efficiency. All purchases, including tickets, concessions, and merchandise, will require contactless payments. Fans needing to convert cash can do so at designated locations. This move ensures a smoother, more convenient game-day experience for all.

About the Northwoods League: The Traverse City Pit Spitters 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. Now in its 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 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, 340 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 (NYM), 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 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). Northwoods League games are viewable live on FloSports.