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Batavia Muckdogs

Muckdogs' owners purchase Niagara Falls franchise, sign on to operate Sal Maglie Stadium

By Mike Pettinella
Robbie and Nellie Nichols

Calling it “a good market that just needs some work,” Robbie Nichols is ready to perform his baseball magic in Niagara Falls.

Nichols, owner of Can-USA Sports along with his wife, Nellie, (photo above) confirmed today that his organization has purchased the Niagara Falls Americans’ franchise of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League and has signed on to manage Sal Maglie Stadium, the team’s home ballpark.

Can-USA Sports also owns the Elmira Pioneers and the Batavia Muckdogs, both members of the PGCBL. Nichols, General Manager Marc Witt and their staff have been credited for rejuvenating baseball in Batavia.

“Niagara Falls, I believe, is a good market that just needs some work,” Nichols said. “The gentleman that owned the team last year wasn’t returning and I think our league needs a team there.”

Last year, the team was called the Niagara Power and competed in the PGCBL’s West Division along with Batavia, Elmira, Jamestown, Auburn, Newark and Geneva.

Nichols said Niagara Falls’ leaders have committed more than $2 million for repairs of Sal Maglie Stadium.

“They put in a new turf field. It will be a very good-looking ballpark,” he noted, adding that Michael Gabriele, a former Niagara University baseball player, will be the club’s manager. He said the team already is signing players for the 2024 season.

City and state politicians reportedly are enthusiastic about the team’s prospects with Can-USA Sports on board.

“We are really excited to introduce them to the city of Niagara Falls and the Sal Maglie Stadium,” Mayor Rob Restaino told WIVB-TV.

State Sen. Rob Ortt echoed his sentiments, telling the television station that the Nichols team “chose Niagara Falls because of the stadium, because of the history, because they believe in Niagara Falls.”

“And hopefully that will inspire and tell a lot of other people here that we too should believe in Niagara Falls.”

Nichols announced that Niagara County Community College and D’Youville University baseball teams will play their home games at Sal Maglie Stadium next year. He said he plans to book many other events there, just as he does with Dwyer Stadium in Batavia.

When asked if he was stretching himself too thin – having to juggle the activities of three franchises, Nichols said he will continue to be “stationed” in Batavia once the season starts but will rotate among the three.

“I’ll probably be at 65 baseball games, working, so it will be a busy summer,” he said. “Nellie and I are excited about the new opportunity. It’s a market that needs work, but we’re not afraid of a little work.”

Nichols admitted he’s taking a financial risk as the Niagara Falls team did not attract many fans last year,

“Definitely, it’s a risk because it’s no Batavia. They weren’t drawing the crowds that we were drawing last year,” he said. “Everything’s a risk, but our staff – and how hard we work – I’m confident that we can turn Niagara Falls around.”

File photo: Robbie and Nellie Nichols by Jim Burns.

Muckdogs announce new assistant manager and holiday hours

By Press Release

Press Release:

The Batavia Muckdogs are excited to announce Cooper French as the Muckdogs Assistant Manager for the 2024 season.

Cooper is entering his first season with the Muckdogs and the PGCBL. He found a great deal of success in the Commonwealth Collegiate Baseball League of Kentucky, leading his team to an 18 & 2 record, league championship, as well as winning the Coach of the Year Award. 

Cooper coached players of all levels ranging from Division I to Division III. Cooper enters his second season as the Assistant Baseball Coach at Hanover College in Indiana during his collegiate regular season. Cooper Primarily works with pitchers & outfields for the Hanover College Panthers & has learned a great deal from the entire Hanover staff. While coaching he plans on studying to achieve his MBA. 

The Muckdogs will have Holiday office hours all day on Thursday, Dec. 14 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Fans can get their favorite Muckdogs gear, get their 2024 season tickets, or pick out something special for that baseball fan in their life.

Photos: More treats than tricks at Dwyer Stadium

By Joanne Beck
Dwyer trick or treat 2023
A line of costumed trick-or-treaters make their way through the gate of Dwyer Stadium Saturday. 
Photo by Nick Serrata

The ever-popular trick-or-treat event at Dwyer Stadium drew hundreds again this year as part of a yearly Halloween tradition at the Bank Street facility that's home to Batavia Muckdogs.

The October event is just one of several that Muckdogs owner Robbie Nichols and staff host at the site, but it's definitely the sweetest. Businesses an organizations also participate with booths at the field, and hand out candy to the onslaught of little ghosts, goblins and whatever cartoon character may be trending. 

Photos by Nick Serrata

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Trick or treat at Dwyer 2023
Trick or treaters at Dwyer 2023

Batavia Muckdogs set third annual Trick or Treat for October 21

By Press Release
dwyerholloween2022
Photo from 2022 Muckdogs trick or treat by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

The Batavia Muckdogs are excited to announce their 3rd annual Muckdogs Trick or Treat at Dwyer Stadium on Saturday, October 21 from 3 - 6 p.m. 

“This tradition started when we took over the team in 2021 as a free event for the community to get together and have some fun around Halloween. Last year we saw over 5,000 people attend the event and we are expecting another great crowd. We really can’t thank the businesses that are involved who help make this event possible.” Owner Robbie Nichols.

The event is free to enter and is for all ages. Attendees can trick or treat, participate in games & activities, and enjoy the Halloween festivities at Dwyer Stadium. If you or someone you know wants their local business to be involved please email Muckdogs General Manager, Marc Witt mwitt.canusa@gmail.com.

Muckdogs owner eager to strengthen 'marriage' with city by long-term contract

By Joanne Beck
robbie nichols muckdogs
Batavia Muckdogs owner Robbie Nichols, his wife Nellie and General Manager Marc Witt sit in the audience during a City Council meeting as they wait for the city leaders to discuss an updated contract for Dwyer Stadium Monday evening at City Hall.
Photo by Joanne Beck

These past two years may have seemed like a honeymoon phase for Batavia Muckdogs owner Robbie Nichols and the City of Batavia, but he and his CAN-USA Sports team are ready to take it to the next level, he says.

“You know, we've had great success here in Batavia with the Muckdogs and all the different things that take place at the Dwyer Stadium. And we're willing to make a long commitment to the city. And I think the city's willing to make a long commitment to us,” Nichols said after getting the City Council’s nod of approval for a lease renewal Monday evening. “It's been a great marriage. And we've really enjoyed working with the city. And I think they enjoy working with us. So we're ready to make a long-term commitment.”

Nichols, aka CAN-USA Sports, took over the lease for Dwyer Stadium in January 2021 and operated for three seasons as part of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. 

Due to the success at the stadium — which features local favorite Batavia Muckdogs, live concerts, a dance team, high school baseball, festivals, and kid-friendly events, including the upcoming blow-out for Halloween, a trick-or-treat night — city leaders offered a longer contract this time around.

Beginning in April, there will be a rent payment of $7,500, which will increase to $10,000 in 2025. Then in 2026, the rent is to increase to $11,500, along with a capital payment of $5,000. Rent and a capital payment will gradually increase from there for a total rent of $17,758 and a capital payment of $9,900 on April 1, 2040.

Capital payments will be placed in a reserve fund for use on facility improvements, per agreement between the landlord and tenant for projects of more than $25,000. 

Part of the lease includes targeted capital improvement program projects, including painting and installing new flooring in the home and visiting team locker rooms; replacing home and visiting team locker room signage; installing new and upgrading sound equipment; repairing and or replacing outfield fencing; redesigning Dwyer Stadium landscaping and repairing or replacing home and visiting team bullpen areas.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski recommended that the council move a resolution forward for a vote to approve the updated lease agreement. Nichols has pledged “to make aesthetic improvements at the stadium and to pay rent in each of those years as listed in the contract and capital fees,” she said. The extension is in three terms of five years each.+

“I just want to say thank you for all you've done out there. I mean, I see signs all over the place, fireworks, Fourth of July, you're really doing a great job,” Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said. “Thank you very much. Are we in consensus?”

Council members gave an unofficial thumbs up, with the official vote to come during the next business meeting on Oct. 10. 

Nichols, his wife Nellie, and General Manager Marc Witt patiently sat through the entire meeting to get that good news since the agenda item was near the end. As per their usual, the Nichols and Witt were dressed in red and white Muckdogs gear, representing the team they have fully come to embrace as part of the Batavia community.

There have been many different events at the stadium, from various types of musical groups and entertainers to the latest annual Halloween fest, which last year drew a line of ghosts and goblins that wrapped around the corner. The Batavian had heard that the stadium might host a future Italian festival and asked Robbie if there was any truth to that.

“There's a rumor going around that we're looking at that. So we're always looking. We've always said it's the city's building, you know, the citizen’s building. Whatever we can do there that attracts more people, we’d love to do,” he said. “We definitely want more events and different events, and we're open to a lot of different things. We've already had a lot of different things there. The Halloween event has had huge success, and so whatever we can think of, we'll try it.”

Napoleone Foundation and fireworks to highlight July 3 Muckdogs game

By Press Release

Press Release:

The Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation Night will be held at the Batavia Muckdogs game on July 3 at 6:30 p.m. It will be an evening of friends, family, fun, and fireworks while we raise awareness about the Foundation and its mission. We will have raffles, 50/50, and activities for the kids. We invite the community to come celebrate with us and share in the fun.

We will be sharing our love of red, white, and blue for our country and purple as the color of the Napoleone Foundation. See you at the ballpark!

For more information on the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation or to donate, visit https://michaelshope.org/.

Wilmot Cancer Institute's Survivors Night June 24

By Press Release

Press Release:

Join Wilmot Cancer Institute at our Survivors Night to celebrate cancer survivorship on Saturday, June 24, at 6:35 p.m. (game time) at Dwyer Stadium, 299 Bank St., Batavia.

The event will feature the Batavia Muckdogs playing against Elmira Pioneers, fireworks and a ceremony honoring cancer survivors.

Survivors receive 1 free game ticket (each additional ticket $10).

Call the Muckdogs Box Office to purchase at 585-524-2260. Must be purchased prior to game day.

*Cancer survivors are invited to arrive by 6 p.m. to join in the on-field celebration.

Funding request approved for July 3 fireworks, 'Dogs owner gives back

By Joanne Beck
robbie nichols muckdogs sweeping dwyer
Muckdogs owner Robbie Nichols helps clean Dwyer Stadium on May 30 during a scrimmage game before the start of the 2023 season.  General Manager Marc Witt on the left. 
Pis hoto by Howard Owens

It took a few minutes for Batavia Muckdogs owner Robbie Nichols to answer the phone Tuesday, which is understandable.

Not only does he plan for special events, network and take care of finances for the business, but also the minor details of minor league baseball.

“I was just moving garbage cans around the ballpark,” he said. "Whatever needs to be done."

Nichols had recently made a request that $4,000 originally granted to GO ART! for Picnic in the Park be instead given to Batavia Muckdogs for a Fourth of July fireworks display after the July 3 ball game. City Council approved the request during its business meeting Monday, and The Batavian called Nichols for comment.

“We're glad that it was approved, and we're just gonna give it back to the city and the show. So we're excited about that. We do have fireworks on that night, it's going to be more grandiose, like a big city fireworks show sponsored by the city,” he said. “And so obviously, this will be a much larger show. And thank you to the city. And like we said, we'll get tickets out to those people that could use them.”

dwyer stadium fireworks
Fireworks at Dwyer Stadium in 2018.
Photo by Howard Owens.

In his letter requesting the additional funds, Nichols pledged to donate 100 tickets for families in need. On Tuesday, he said it would likely be more than 100 tickets, as he wanted to make it possible for any families that couldn’t otherwise afford to attend to be able to also enjoy the Fourth of July festivities.

“We enjoy being part of the community, and we enjoy being involved in as many events as possible in Batavia,” he said in his letter to council.

Julia Rogers, coordinator of the Batavia City Community Schools program, will be referring families for the tickets, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said.

Nichols and staff were glad that the money was awarded to them, he said, and they have no plans to keep it, treating it in the same vein as they do Dwyer Stadium:  “This is a city facility. It’s not our facility. We’re just the holders of the keys,” he said.

“You know, we're really excited. We put a lot of hard work into Batavia. (General Manager) Marc Witt does a great job with all the groups and people that he brings here. This Friday is Batavia Blue Devil night, and it's gonna be a large crowd, and Monday's game got rained out, and we already had a large crowd coming Monday night, so Friday should be another sold-out game, and we're really happy,” he said. “We had three sell-outs in our first four (games). So we're pretty happy, and we know we're going to sell out this next one. So the crowds keep coming out. We're just happy. They like our product and like what we do here.

“And we want people to enjoy it. You know, every weekend, people don't know we have baseball games, from morning to night. GLOW uses our field every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,” he said. “So if the Dogs aren't playing, we have youth baseball being played from eight in the morning ’til eight at night almost every Friday, Saturday, Sunday.”

That was enough talk. He had other tasks to do.

“We get a lot of trash,” he said.

fireworks dwyer stadium 2018
Fireworks at Dwyer Stadium in 2018.
Photo by Howard Owens.

Muckdogs announce some new players, some returning players for 2023 season

By Press Release
alex hale
Alex Hale

Press Release:

The West Division Champion Batavia Muckdogs are happy to welcome the newest members of the team for the upcoming 2023 season! Among the many newcomers joining the reigning champs are Outfielder Anthony Calabro, and First Baseman/Outfielder Henry Daniels, both coming from the University of West Georgia. 

Calabro, a 6’0 185 pound junior, comes from St. John’s, Florida. A Division II player of the year candidate, Calabro had an excellent season batting .418 and mashing 14 home runs on his way to a 1.225 OPS while also swiping 17 stolen bases along the way.

Daniels, a 6’5 220-pound junior, is from Norman Park, Georgia. Daniels, the first base/outfield hybrid, mashed 15 home runs with a .634 slugging percentage.

Along with these new assets, many familiar faces are returning for another year of Muckdogs’ baseball. Among these include Alex Hale, Trey Bacon, Julian Pichardo, Josh Leadem, Caleb Rodriguez, Brice Mortillaro, Ryan Kinney, and Tyler Henshaw.

Standing at 5’11 and weighing 180 pounds, Alex Hale is a junior pitcher from Niagara County Community College. Hale, who throws an 86-mile-per-hour fastball, has been limited this season, striking out three in three innings with no runs allowed.

Standing at 5’11 and weighing 160 pounds, Trey Bacon is a junior utility player and pitcher from Saint Pete College. Bacon recently averaged eight strikeouts per nine innings at Santa Fe Community College. Last summer for Batavia, Trey performed at a high level with a 1.59 ERA. 

Standing at 6’5 and weighing 225 pounds, Julian Pichardo is a senior pitcher from the University of Fort Lauderdale. Pichardo will be returning for his third stint with the Muckdogs. His first year with Batavia saw him clock in with a 2.45 ERA in 55 innings pitched, along with 42 strikeouts. Last year Pichardo pitched a 3.20 ERA while striking out 17 batters in 19 innings.
Julian also won a championship playoff game last year for the Muckdogs.

Standing at 6’2 and weighing 190 pounds, Josh Leadem is a senior outfielder from the University of Rochester. Leadem is making his return to the team after playing this year for the University of Rochester, where across three seasons there, he’s accumulated a career .334 average and 61 stolen bases. Leadem hit a walk-off grand slam in this year's liberty league tournament against RIT.

Standing at 5’10 and weighing 170 pounds, Caleb Rodriguez is a senior middle infielder from Kean University. Rodriguez will be making his return to Batavia after bumping up his batting average from .252 his sophomore season to .331 his junior season at Kean University. This year he also finished with a .434 on-base percentage and 23 RBIs.

Standing at 6’0 and weighing 187 pounds, Brice Mortillaro is a sophomore catcher from Georgia Southwestern University. After a year off from the Muckdogs, Mortillaro will be returning to the team. Brice, in his 2022 campaign at Georgia Southwestern University, posted a .432 on-base percentage and .745 OPS, and in his entire collegiate career, has never made an error.

Standing at 6’5 and weighing 190 pounds, Ryan Kinney is a senior pitcher from Xavier University of Louisiana. Kinney will make his way back to Batavia this year. This past season saw Ryan continue to perform well, pitching in 19 innings along with 24 strikeouts.

Standing at 5’9 and weighing 165, Tyler Henshaw is a sophomore pitcher from Potomac State. Henshaw has been dominant this season with Potomac State, averaging 10.15 strikeouts per game while holding opponents to only a .242 batting average while he’s on the bump.

The entire Batavia team will begin their quest to repeat as West Division champions with their home opener at Dwyer Stadium against the Elmira Pioneers on Saturday, June 3rd. Following the opener will be a fireworks display for all to enjoy. For both individual and season tickets, as well
as keeping up with future games and promotional nights, please check out our website https://www.canusamuckdogs.com/ or call 585-524-2260!

tyler-henshaw.jpg
Tyler Henshaw
trey-bacon.jpg
Trey Bacon
ryan-kinney.jpg
Ryan Kinney
julian-pichardo.jpg
Julian Pichardo
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Josh Leadem
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Caleb Rodriguez

Submitted photos

Two Batavia staples honored with awards from YMCA

By Joanne Beck

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GLOW YMCA’s annual meeting had a few surprises this year, as the nonprofit’s leaders, including CEO Rob Walker, presented Community Partner awards to two Batavia entities that have been key players in the community.

Awards went each to Batavia Muckdogs and the City of Batavia for their contributions to YMCA’s mission and vision.

In turn, City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. said just how much YMCA’s presence here has impacted him.

“The YMCA as been a positive influence in our community for as long as I can remember.  As a young child growing up in Batavia, the YMCA health and wellness programs were a big part of my life,” Jankowski said. “Their mission continues today in partnership with the city to manage Batavia’s after school and parks programs. I’m looking forward to the next chapter as they complete the new Healthy Living campus in our downtown.”

City Manager Rachael J. Tabelski and Jankowski were proud to receive the recognition, they said. YMCA has been “all in” to assist the city in ways that advance the mission of health and wellness, Tabelski said.

“And we share a very strong mutually beneficial partnership.  The YMCA worked with the former Youth Bureau Director, Jocelyn Sikorski, (currently director of Cornell Cooperative Extension) as a founding member of Teen City, an afterschool program for middle and high school aged children,” Tabelski said. “The YMCA stepped up when the city needed to find a private sector partner to run the afterschool program and the summer recreation program, which are both still offered free of charge to families in Batavia. The YMCA has also been a leader in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) partnering with (Rochester Regional Health and United Memorial Medical Center) to build a new $30 million Healthy Living Campus in the heart of downtown Batavia.

“The City is proud to be partners with Rob Walker, the YMCA, and their amazing staff, and we appreciate the honor of this award," she said. 

A request for comment from Batavia Muckdogs owner Robbie Nichols was not returned by the time this article was published.

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Top Photo: Steven Krna, Muckdogs General Manager Marc Witt, Batavia City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr., and GLOW YMCA CEO Rob Walker; and above, Steven Krna, City Manager Rachael Tabelski, Eugene Jankowski Jr., and Rob Walker. Photos submitted.

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