Pit Spitters open season chasing third Northwoods League title
The Pit Spitters are back at Turtle Creek Stadium with championship pressure and Memorial Day weekend timing that will ripple through Traverse City’s summer traffic.
Traverse City’s summer baseball calendar is back on the clock, with the Pit Spitters opening a season built around another championship run and the usual surge of fans, families and postgame traffic around Turtle Creek Stadium.
The team reported to work May 22 and opened its 2026 schedule May 25 on the road against the Kalamazoo Growlers. The home opener arrives Wednesday, May 27, at 7:05 p.m. against the Rockford Rivets, a date that places the Pit Spitters squarely in the center of Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of Traverse City’s summer pace.
That matters here well beyond the standings. The Pit Spitters have become one of Grand Traverse County’s most visible seasonal attractions, drawing families, casual fans and visitors looking for an affordable night out in a city where downtown businesses rely on warm-weather foot traffic and event-driven evenings. Their return gives the opening stretch of summer a predictable rhythm: baseball at Turtle Creek Stadium, customers moving through town before and after first pitch, and another reminder that the county’s tourism season is in full swing.
Todd Reid is again at the center of it. He is entering his second year as field manager and his eighth season with the organization, after helping guide Traverse City to Northwoods League championships in 2019 and 2021. The 2026 season carries more weight than a routine reset because Reid was named Northwoods League Manager of the Year in 2025, and the Pit Spitters finished last year as reigning first- and second-half champions.
The coaching staff around him includes Ryan Gillings and Rocky Mauriello, giving Reid a group with continuity as the club tries to turn another short summer into a title chase. Reid’s background gives the staff more depth still: his coaching career spans more than 25 years, with over 500 victories and previous conference coach of the year honors.
The roster adds another reason the opener matters locally. The Pit Spitters are billing their 2026 group as a mix of returning contributors, Michigan standouts and national prospects, a formula that keeps familiar faces in front of the Traverse City crowd while bringing in new talent from across the country. That blend has helped make the Northwoods League a steady summer showcase in northern Michigan.
The Pit Spitters also remain tied to a broader baseball network, sharing ownership with the West Michigan Whitecaps, the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. But in Traverse City, the immediate significance is simpler: the season is here, Turtle Creek Stadium is ready, and another summer tradition is set to shape the county’s weekends from the first pitch forward.
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