Marauders Well Represented At MiLB Fall Business Summit

At the recent Minor League Baseball Fall Business Summit in Indianapolis, members of the Bradenton Marauders’ front office staff were among the 120 teams sharing best practices and bringing new ideas back to Southwest Florida to excite fans at LECOM Park in 2026.

Craig Warzecha, Marauders’ general manager/director, sales & marketing, led the three-person Bradenton team to the “Circle City” for what could be best described as an equivalent to a college mini-semester of better baseball operations.  Accompanied by Kyle Hogan – Marauders' manager, ticket sales & service, and Brian Spradlin – manager, game presentation & marketing, Warzecha reports that the trip, overall, will benefit Bradenton baseball fans in the upcoming season.

“It was a great opportunity to go to Indianapolis and visit with Randy (Randy Lewandowski – President & Chief Operating Officer of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate Indianapolis Indians),” Warzecha told The Bradenton Times of his visit earlier this month to the Midwest.  “It was a few days of seminars and collaborating with others in our industry.”

Along with a trade show and licensee representatives meeting with ballclubs’ officials, the Marauders were nominated for several MiLB awards.  The Marauders were the 2025 Single-A finalist for MiLB Organization of the Year. The visit to Indy was a busy few days for the Bradenton trio.  Getting new ideas from vendors in retail promotion at the summit should aid the Marauders and all MiLB clubs in finding new avenues to pass their brands along to the communities they serve.

As Warzecha views the Marauders' contributions to Manatee County and the surrounding areas, the organization’s contributions are bigger than baseball.  How a club impacts the community it resides in is paramount to being a caring local partner. Now in his 11th season with the Marauders, Warzecha emphasizes a “team-oriented” approach with his staff, which contributes to the overall winning product produced season after season.

The Marauders were also in contention for the 2025 MiLB Driving Diversity Award. This award recognizes a club that demonstrates a concerted effort to welcome fans of all backgrounds to their ballpark through a variety of programming aimed at reaching minority groups in their community. This past season, the Marauders stayed true to this mission by presenting promotions such as Jewish Heritage Night, Pride Night, Girls Night Out, and Bradenton Nine Devils Night.  The Nine Devils played in the Florida Negro League from 1937 to 1956. Earlier that day, prior to the Marauders – Jupiter Hammerheads game, a historical marker at the main entrance at LECOM Park was unveiled honoring the Nine Devils.

Recognizing First Responders and members of the United States Military were among the reasons the Marauders were in the running for MiLB’s Golden Bobblehead Award. This award recognizes the most creative and successful promotions run by teams each season.  Partnering with Cool Today - Cooling, Plumbing, Electrical for 10 years, the Marauders were finalists with other organizations for the Most Unique Local Partnership Activation.

What baseball fans don’t see is the telling story of the Marauders’ overall success at LECOM Park.  With all the folks doing their part behind the scenes to make the fan experience seamless, these are the practices and standards that consistently have the attention of MiLB officials at all levels.