Marauders’ Karena Ballard Shines As MiLB Future Star

Apologies to Raymond, but everybody loves Karena Ballard in Manatee County.

It’s impossible not to be a fan of Ballard, right from the first time you meet her. Everything an employer could wish for in a representative, Ballard possesses all the necessary leadership qualifications. Recently, it has been brought to my attention that Ballard, the Marauders’ coordinator for fan and community engagement, was one of the eight finalists for the MiLB Future Star Award.

Candidates for the Future Star Award are those top minor league executives who are 25 years old or younger. Marauders’ General Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing, Craig Warzecha, nominated the first-year Bradenton employee. Although Ballard didn’t bring home the award, which was announced earlier this month in Indianapolis at the MiLB Business Summit, her fan-focused footprint continues to resonate throughout Manatee County and surrounding communities.

“We (Marauders) participated in 100 community events this past season," Ballard told The Bradenton Times earlier this week at LECOM Park.

As the face of Marauders’ baseball at local events, accompanied by the team’s mascot, Marty, Ballard has grown into a welcoming and identifiable presence for other social and professional organizations. Ballard, who sits on the boards of area community non-profits, originally didn’t have settling in Bradenton on her professional radar, far from it.

“Originally, I’m from the Chesapeake, Va. area. Four years ago, I wasn’t a baseball girl," said Ballard.

However, starting in 2020 and 2021 fascinated in following a soccer team, then accepting an internship with an ECHL hockey team, followed by working in St. Louis in conjuncture with the PGA, it was when Ballard was in the “The Lou” that she became enamored with baseball’s Cardinals.

“I fell in love with baseball when I saw how everyone in the city came together with the Cardinals. Then, in October 2023, I saw a position in Fort Myers, FL, posted on LinkedIn with the Boston Red Sox. I did everything there, including singing the national anthem,” Ballard recalls.

This is when Ballard knew that working in baseball was what she wanted to do. With her mother, brother, and grandmother supporting her employment goals, from Fort Myers, Ballard followed her dreams to Bradenton. From overseeing the Pittsburgh Pirates’ annual block party in downtown Bradenton during spring training to directing the Marauders’ promotions during the regular season, Ballard has done an incredible job in pleasing the baseball public. Only a person of her energy can pull off the success stories as Ballard continues to do.

“Party with Marty, where other team mascots as well as our corporate partners’ mascots (on August 1) was my favorite promotion. I had an absolute blast. With the foam party that same game, there was a great party atmosphere,” said Ballard, a graduate of George Mason University.

Ballard is a part of a total Marauders’ team effort that offers locals a fun time at LECOM Park. She easily makes all feel important and is a reason for fans to make repeat visits to the ballpark. With the 2026 Marauders’ first homestand beginning on April 7 with the Palm Beach Cardinals, although tight-lipped with specifics, Ballard is already sporting a big grin in anticipation of what plans are already in the works.

Award or not, there’s no ignoring Ballard’s value to the Marauders’ front office. She’s not just a future star but a full-out, speeding flash of customer service brilliance that thankfully landed in Southwest Florida.