Battle Creek Battle Jacks sold: New owner Scott Miles plans new era for team

The Battle Creek Black Jacks have their Home Opener on May 27 against the Richmond Flying Mummies. Courtesy Photo

Editor’s note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave’s On the Ground Battle Creek series.

BATTLE CREEK, MI — The purchase of the Battle Creek Battle Jacks in 2025 didn’t come out of left field for the Massachusetts businessman who bought the team.

After a successful career focused on early-stage startup companies, Scott Miles says he was looking for a different opportunity, one that would meld his love of baseball with his business acumen. After doing his research and making site visits, he decided to make a play for the Battle Jacks.

“It was quite the journey. I really wanted to have a career shift and a change,” Miles says. “I am very passionate about baseball. It’s been a big part of my family. I was trying to find a baseball team to buy.”

Miles bought the team from Brian Colopy, who also owns the Kalamazoo Growlers. He does not publicly disclose what he paid for the Battle Jacks, whose home field is C.O. Brown Stadium at Bailey Park.

Scott Mills is the new owner of the Battle Creek Battle Jacks. Courtesy Photo

Based on recent listings, buying a Northwoods League baseball franchise can cost approximately $2.1 million. While valuations for successful summer collegiate franchises generally range from $250,000 to more than $1 million, top-tier teams in leagues like the Northwoods can command higher prices due to high attendance and revenue, putting them in the multi-million dollar range, according to Adam Faris, a content creator who has a partnership with Sports Illustrated.

After making site visits to teams within the Northwoods League, which the Battle Jacks are part of, he made an offer to buy that team. For him, Battle Creek checked all of the boxes. The in-person visit was a game-changer, he says.

“As an outsider doing my research, what I was reading online and in various publications and what I saw out on the ground were different. Battle Creek is a thriving community. Having spent a lot of time there with the local community, I respect the strong military ties and roots. I felt that with my energy and vision and what I wanted to do for baseball, there was a great way for Battle Creek to achieve its community goals.”

“He saw how important a team could be for the community, and the community would be a success with a team,” says Sam Connell, general manager of the Battle Jacks. “He’s in town once a month. This is his job. He’s fully invested in being an owner and running the organization.”

A stepping stone to the big leagues

The Battle Jacks are one of 26 teams in the Northwoods League (NWL), a summer collegiate wood-bat circuit and the largest organized amateur baseball league domestically and internationally.

In this league, players are collegiate baseball standouts who take to the field in May for games that are played through August. They aren’t paid and are housed by residents, some of whom have been doing this since the team was formed in 2007 under its former name, the Battle Creek Bombers. The name was changed in 2022.

While transportation to away games, uniforms, and meals before and after games are provided by team ownership, players from colleges throughout the United States pay to play, Connell says.

Sam Connell is the Battle Creek Battle Jacks General Manager. Courtesy Photo

“This is a developmental league. They play against top talent in the country,” Connell says. “A lot of baseball scouts come through the league here.”

Players are recruited in the offseason through outreach to various colleges and universities and inquiries from the players themselves. After doing their due diligence, they may be asked to join the Battle Jacks. In addition to players from Kellogg Community College, Michigan State University, and Western Michigan University, the team recently signed a player from Gonzaga University.

“They will come and call Battle Creek home this summer,” Connell says.

The Battle Jacks look for good players and good people who will stay with the team for the duration of the summer season.

“We had 75 players last year to put on a Battle Jacks uniform. We’re hoping to keep that number around 50 this year. We carry 30 to 35 on a roster. At any given time, you’re looking at a complete roster turnover. When you have that many players leave, it’s hard for the camaraderie.”

Since forming in 1994, more than 400 Northwoods League alumni, including Max Scherzer and Curtis Granderson, have gone on to play with Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. Connell says management remains hopeful that a Battle Jacks player will soon be among this illustrious group. Several players who played under the Bombers moniker did go on to the MLB.

“Playing at the next level, that’s the exciting part for them,” Connell says.

C. O. Bailey Field, the Battle Creek Battle Jacks home base. Courtesy Photo

Miles says he didn’t buy a team not to be competitive.

A father of two young sons who play baseball, and a former high school varsity baseball player himself for three years, he says he has a real appreciation for the summer collegiate leagues.

“We attract some of the best college talent in the country. They play 72 games in 77 days. This is a proving ground for these players,” Miles says. “A lot of games over a short period of time is the allure of this league.”

Action on and off the field

A Michigan native and former collegiate player, Connell has spent six seasons in the Northwoods League and has built a reputation for driving fan engagement, creative promotions, and operational excellence.

“I have nothing to do with what goes on inside the foul lines,” he says.

His focus is on giving the fans experiences that will keep them coming back. The music played on the field during games, creation of theme nights, and the food and beverage lineup are among his areas of expertise, and all are part of the fan experience that has become a “huge” talking point in the team’s front office.

“Fans will come watch baseball. But when you’re competing with all the different entertainment sources, you need to be able to have entertainment that keeps them engaged. This is a big thing in minor league sports, which is even more relevant now with shortened attention spans. You need to be able to adjust to what fans want.”

Chris Fletcher is the Battle Creek Battle Jacks Head Coach. Courtesy Photo

Average attendance is about 1,100 at each game. C.O. Brown Stadium seats 3,500. Connell says the team has a loyal fan base, one that he hopes will grow under Miles’ leadership.

“We have a couple of fans who live near the ballpark, and they’re here every night. I would love it if we had more fans coming to our games. Having that tie to the team fosters success and growth and helps the guys when they’re on the road,” Connell says.

Fans can expect to see new food and beverage options, theme nights like “Margaritaville” and “Food Truck Friday Nights,” and the addition of a new family-friendly hospitality/entertainment space that will house a summer concert series on Saturdays before each game.

Connell says his favorite thing is when fans are enjoying the ambience so much that they don’t know what the final score was or who won or lost.

The sights, smells, and sounds will be touched differently, and when people walk into the stadium, they should sense that the team is under new management, Miles says. There is more intentionality and focus on the quality of food served to give people a reason to come out every night.

“It’s somebody’s first game every night,” he says. “We’re giving people many different reasons to come to a ballgame. We’re in the business of selling fun that just happens to be wrapped around a baseball game.”