Kalamazoo has not had a minor league baseball team since the Kings ceased operations after the 2010 season.
A Northwoods League team will play in Kalamazoo next year. The league is made up of college players, who are still amateurs. The Battle Creek Bombers are part of the Northwoods League and have been playing for the last seven years.
Kalamazoo Baseball Managing Partner Brian Calopy and Assistant General Manager John Bollinger told WMUK's Gordon Evans that they believe Kalamazoo is a good market for the Northwoods League and that the natural rivalry with Battle Creek will help the new team.
The organization knows it will field a team next season and play its games at Homer Stryker Field. One big question remains: What will the team be called? Five finalists have been selected as part of a contest to pick the team's nickname.