Traverse City Pit Spitters continue to build winning culture with second consecutive Northwoods League title
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (BVM) — The Traverse City Pit Spitters have only been in existence for three years, and have only played two full seasons. Already, they have dominated the Northwoods League by winning back-to-back championships.
The Pit Spitters first came onto the scene in the Northwoods League back in 2019. In any sport, hiring the right leader is imperative to success. Needless to say, Traverse City got it right by bringing in field manager Josh Rebandt.
A former baseball player himself, Rebandt got his coaching start at his alma mater of Clearwater Christian College immediately after his playing career ended in 2011. By 2014, Rebandt began his time with Olivet Nazarene as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, and also went on to have a role as a pitching coach at Davenport University.
Within this time, Rebandt also got his first taste of the Northwoods League as pitching coach for the Lakeshore Chinooks. In 2018, he served as field manager for the Battle Creek Bombers, leading them to a winning record.
Although he may not have been the most prepared when he first became a coach in 2011, Rebandt’s many years of experience, particularly within the Northwoods League, set him up for success right away with the Pit Spitters.
“I was kind of thrown into the fire at Clearwater, but I was fortunate to hop right into it,” Rebandt said about his beginnings in coaching. “I started the Traverse City position in 2019 and it’s super awesome to get to be at that ground-level stage with a new organization. You get a chance to create the culture. Getting that opportunity in Traverse City is something that I look back on and am super grateful for.”
While Rebandt has only been part of the Northwoods League for a handful of years and with the Pit Spitters for even less time, the talent, culture and enjoyment of both the league and his team have created some fond memories for the field manager.
“One of the best parts of the league in general is the competition,” Rebandt noted. “Really every night, we have the opportunity to be right there on the top step, coaching or coaching against guys that are going to be selected in the [MLB] draft. Also, the atmospheres and environments we play in with communities that really back our teams … It makes it really exciting for our guys every night.
“Our community in Traverse City has really bought into our organization and our team. The amount of passion and love they have for our team is one of the things I love most about Traverse City as a whole. The little things are what make the summer experience so great.”
On the field, the Pit Spitters have been dominant. However, it didn’t exactly start off that way. In 2019, the team began the season just 12-13, trying to find its identity in the league. But it wouldn’t take long to turn things around. Later in the season, the Pit Spitters would go on a league-record 18-game winning streak, and finish the year with over 50 victories.
Winning both of the two halves in the Northwoods League season, Traverse City would take down the Kalamazoo Growlers and Madison Mallards to get to the championship game. There, they would face a ninth-inning deficit to Eau Claire Express. But a late rally keyed by a couple of Express errors sparked the team, and the Pit Spitters would come back to win 3-2 and earn a championship in their first season.
“I prayed a lot going into that first season that something different would go on with our team and that we had the right pieces to the puzzle,” Rebandt said. “By mid summer, I started hearing some reporters mention that ‘something special’ is going on in Traverse City, and it dawned on me that those are the two words I had been using in my prayer time.
“It really was a special year in a lot of ways. We had a ton of things go right for us. Just doing it with that group of guys and seeing them perform on a daily basis and be successful was really cool. From top to bottom, year one and being able to really get some momentum for our organization on and off the field was really cool and special.”
Going into 2020, the Pit Spitters were hoping for a chance to repeat. However, as the entire sports world adjusted its operations due to COVID-19, the Northwoods League followed suit. The season was delayed, and later put on hiatus due to positive Covid tests. New teams were formed, and squads were only allowed to play within their geographical pod.
Despite the adversity, the Pit Spitters did still make it to the championship game for the Michigan pod, but fell short to the Kalamazoo Mac Daddies.
“Going into 2020, I was really just hoping that we would have a season and have a chance to play,” Rebandt said. “It was weird, we played the same team every night. But nonetheless, I was super grateful to be back on the field and see our guys on the field. I feel like our goals were still reached by just giving guys opportunities to get exposure.”
With things getting back to how they used to be in 2021, Rebandt and his team were looking forward to a normalized season again, and this time having the chance to officially become back-to-back champions.
“Our goals as a team stay the same year to year and player development is our No. 1 priority,” Rebandt noted. “But I really do believe winning is a byproduct of that player development. If we do things the right way, we give ourselves the opportunity to play for something meaningful at the end of the season.”
With higher expectations in 2021, the Pit Spitters didn’t have quite the same amount of success in the win column as they had in 2019. However, staying true to their goals and philosophy, they remained a consistent and winning group, notching 21 victories in both halves of the season.
By winning the Great Lakes East Division in the first half, the Pit Spitters were a lock for the postseason again where they hoped to get back to the championship game.
“I think consistency is the right word for it, consistency matters,” Rebandt said. “We got out of the gate and were playing really good baseball, but towards the end of the first half, we started losing some key close games. But it gave us an atmosphere in the second half that we had something to play for because we didn’t win a lot of those close games. After the all-star break into that fourth quarter, we started winning some of those close games. That gave us some momentum into the postseason.”
Going into the postseason, Traverse City faced a Kokomo squad it had played even with all year. The best-of-three series was more of the same, but the Pit Spitters would win it 2-1 thanks to a three-run ninth inning in game three.
After a win in a single-elimination game against the Madison Mallards, the Pit Spitters were off to the title game once again to do battle with the St. Cloud Rox.
“Going to St. Cloud was a whole experience in itself,” Rebandt said. “They were an incredible team and we knew that we were kind of the underdog going into it. It was kind of a replica of what we accomplished during our run in 2019.”
In the title game, the Pit Spitters again came through, this time in more dominant fashion with a 9-3 victory. The team had many strong players throughout the season, but two of its biggest stars were league pitcher of the year Cam Schuelke and Central Michigan standout Mario Camiletti.
Both players shined when the lights were at their brightest, as Schuelke delivered another strong performance giving up just three runs on three hits in six innings pitched, and Camiletti delivered an early home run and scored three runs in the championship contest.
“From the moment I called Cam, he was all in,” Rebandt said. “We started using him out of the bullpen, and his second or third outing he got roughed up. But he bounced back really well from that and I don’t think he ever looked back or we ever looked back. I’m really glad we ended up putting him in the rotation … He was just incredibly reliable and having a guy like that to pitch game one in the playoffs and knowing we had him on the mound in the championship, we knew we had a pretty good chance to win.
“What Mario has done for our team over the last three years has been incredible. He’s one of the most consistent and dependable players that I’ve ever coached. He’s also one of the best hitters I’ve ever coached and is one of the best teammates that has come through our dugout in terms of being there for the guys. When you look at what you want a Pit Spitter to be defined by, he’s that kind of guy and he’s the guy you want in your corner.”
Camiletti was one of a handful of guys who were also with the Pit Spitters when they won it all in 2019. Winning back-to-back championships for the first time in Northwoods League history and winning two titles in their first two full years in existence, the Pit Spitters could not have started out much better.
“When our guys were able to hoist the trophy, that moment of just being able to take a step back and watch them do that, you start thinking about the amount of time that you’ve spent together as a team,” Rebandt explained. “It really makes a special time just to soak it in and see the smiles on their faces. It’s an incredible commitment and seeing those guys that were there for both championships was super cool. It’s one of those things that people can never take away from you.”
The first couple seasons in Pit Spitter history will certainly not be forgotten. At the same time, this young franchise hopes to continue to grow and build on its already incredible success. Depending on who returns next year, a three-peat could be a possibility. But it’s all about sticking to the cores this franchise has built, and if that is done, the result will take care of itself.
“Culture is one thing that we really talked about a ton in that first season,” Rebandt concluded. “The culture that we’ve been fortunate enough to have is because we have tried to do our best to find guys with high character, who are great teammates and have great work ethics. If we can do that in our clubhouse, I think we set ourselves up for success. Not that it’s going to mean a trophy in our hands at the end of the year, but it means that our guys have developed, which is our No. 1 priority.”
