WMU Alumni Help Bring New Northwoods League Team to Michigan

Play ball! While MLB’s playoff season is already underway, baseball fans across Southwest Michigan have another reason to look ahead to 2027. A new team is coming to New Buffalo as the Dune Coast Quillbacks prepare to join the Northwoods League for the 2027 season.

And the Best Part? Three WMU Alumni Are Behind the Team

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The Story Behind the Dune Coast Quillbacks:

For baseball fans in Kalamazoo, the arrival of another Northwoods League team feels less like competition and more like a reason to celebrate! Thanks to the Kalamazoo Growlers, locals know exactly what summer collegiate baseball can mean to a community.

From championship baseball to family-friendly theme nights and community engagement, the Growlers have become a familiar part of the Southwest Michigan summer. I mean, who else in baseball has a fire-breathing on-field host? No one! 

Now, that the summer collegiate league is expanding west toward New Buffalo, the Dune Coast Quillbacks are already preparing to take the field in 2027. And there is a distinctly Kalamazoo connection behind the new franchise:

What started with connections forged at Western has grown into something much bigger: a chance to bring summer baseball to their community and create opportunities for the next generation of players. -- WMU Alumni Association via Facebook

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Brian Williams, Stephen Donnelly, and Blagica Bottigliero are all WMU alumni who are bringing their real-word expertise together to create New Buffalo's new baseball team. In fact, Williams is a talent scout for the Texas Rangers.

"Their journey is another reminder that Western changes what is possible."

We can't wait to welcome the Dune Coast Quillbacks to Southwest Michigan this summer. Do you plan on attending a game? Stay up to date with the team here.