Baseball

Chicago, Ill. – Jan. 9, 2023 – The Northern League has announced that the Joliet Generals baseball team will be renamed the Griffith Generals and relocate to Griffith, Ind. beginning with the 2023 season.

“We are thrilled to partner with Griffith Public Schools to bring the Generals to Northwest Indiana,” Northern League Commissioner Don Popravak said. “The location is a perfect fit for our league’s geographic footprint and our vision for future expansion. I would like to thank Griffith Public Schools and the Highland/Griffith Chamber of Commerce for welcoming Northern League baseball to the community with open arms. We recognize the tremendous community support for all levels of athletics in Griffith and can’t wait to see fans embrace the Generals this summer.”

The Generals made their second straight playoff appearance during the 2022 season after winning the 2021 league championship. The franchise has developed significant on-field momentum over the last two seasons, adding to the buzz around the team entering its first year in Griffith.

“As Executive Director of the Highland/Griffith Chamber of Commerce, I am very excited to hear the news that the Generals are coming to Griffith,” Lance Ryskamp said. “They will be a great addition to the community and will continue to enhance the quality of life in our area. I am also excited to have the Griffith Generals as a member of our Chamber and I look forward to having our organization support the team as they approach their first season in Griffith.”

Griffith High School Assistant Principal Brian Jennings, who previously served as the school’s head baseball coach, played a key role in the franchise’s relocation. He has long been involved with the Northern League and has served as part of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen staff.

“This is exciting for the Griffith community and the facility is perfect for the league,” Jennings said. “It is centrally located in the middle of the county and has plenty of seating and parking to go along with a quality field. This is great for the town from an economic standpoint, and hopefully fans will frequent local restaurants and bars after they attend games.”

Griffith Athletic Director Neil Dimos views this as an opportunity for young athletes in the Griffith community to attend games and get a taste of the next level of baseball.

“We have a great tradition of baseball with our town leagues, Babe Ruth leagues and high school program here in the Griffith community,” Dimos said. “We also have a tradition of athletic support for all of our programs. We draw a lot of fans for football and basketball games, and bringing this league and this level of baseball to our community will be a great fit. It will benefit our youth programs tremendously to see this level of play here in Griffith and help get those young athletes excited about the game of baseball.”

The Generals were formed in 2018 and are entering their sixth season in the league. The league has produced over 100 players who have gone on to compete professionally with five fulfilling the ultimate dream of playing Major League Baseball. The league was founded in 2010 and rebranded as the Northern League prior to the 2022 campaign.