Shown is Elkhart County Miracle President and Founder Craig Wallin holding a team jersey and a picture of the team’s mascot, Scooter, in front of The NorthWood Field of Dreams Complex, where the Miracle will play their inaugural season. Photo by Blair Baumgartner.

By Blair Baumgartner
InkFreeNews

NAPPANEE — Craig Wallin knew he was bucking long odds, so he christened his brainchild endeavor with a name that cemented his resolve and will soon result in a fruition that lives up to that name: The Elkhart County Miracle.

The Miracle, a Northern League semipro baseball team, kicks off its season 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, at the NorthWood Field of Dreams Complex on the campus of NorthWood High School in Nappanee versus the Lake County Corn Dogs.

Former Chicago Cub and 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist will throw out the first pitch Saturday, June 3, for the team’s grand opening game.

The team will play 55 games this summer, including 30 home games.

“The initial thought came to mind when I was broadcasting for the South Bend White Sox,” said Wallin, president and founder of The Elkhart County Miracle. “I was the first broadcaster for the White Sox and traveled with the team.”

Wallin said that many times the White Sox would play in communities that were smaller than Elkhart County. He thought that if he simply had a few years, he could bring a team to Elkhart County, but it was not that easy.

Wallin had friends and colleagues who shared his vision. At one point, they had an architectural rendering of a 10,000-seat retractable roof minor league baseball facility. They thought the facility could also house a pro soccer team, community events and concerts.

If they could make the baseball facility become a reality, their vision was to fill it up with events at least 150 days per year. The pieces of their plan just never quite came together. Wallin said they were very close to having a team compete in the Northern League in 2014. Then he received a last minute call that the league was folding.

After many years of dreaming and planning, Wallin was doing the play-by-play for a NorthWood High School baseball game during the 2022 season. NorthWood athletic director Roman Smith talked about a new baseball facility called “The NorthWood Field of Dreams Complex” that would be constructed near the school.

Smith said the school was interested in possibly having a semipro baseball team play at the facility during the summer months.

A light went on in Wallin’s head. Wallin and his friend Ron Bedward, who is now the director of marketing for the team, started discussing with Smith what it would actually look like if they could put together a team to play at the facility.

They started talking with Don Popravak, president of the Northern League, to figure out how they could put together a new team for the league. Popravak knew of Wallin’s dream to bring a team to Elkhart County and had been following Wallin’s story for 15 years.

With the help of an 11-member corporate team, that dream is becoming a reality. The team has worked extremely hard to make their dream come true.

The initial squad consists of about 25% local prospects and 75% collegiate and minor league prospects from other states. Wallin’s son, Tyler, is also part of the corporate team. Tyler is a former collegiate baseball player.

Former Notre Dame baseball/football player Evan Sharpley, who is the team’s director of baseball operations, worked hard putting together a squad of talented, high-character young men who love the game of baseball.

Wallin said, “We’ve really got some high-character guys who can really play. They’re all gems.”

Wallin wants this team to embody the local community. “I want to encourage fans to start looking for miracles. If you start looking for miracles each day, you might be surprised what happens,” he said.

He emphasized they want the fans to be “celebrated, not tolerated.” The team envisions a wholesome, affordable, down-to-earth family atmosphere where people can enjoy good baseball and make lasting memories with their family and friends.

Wallin said there are so many people who shared his dream of bringing a team to Elkhart County and some of them are no longer with us. There are really too many people to name, but they were all instrumental in this miracle.

He mentioned former Coveleski Stadium manager and one-time Baseball America’s Executive of the Year, John Baxter, as being an integral part of making this dream come true. Baxter is part of the executive team.

Northern Indiana Area Director of Fellowship of Christian Athletes Josh Gleason will be the team’s chaplain.

Wilson Valera, a onetime minor league baseball player and former member of the Arizona Diamondback’s coaching staff, will manage the team.

All weekday home games start at 7 p.m. Saturday home games begin at 6 p.m. and Sunday home games start at 2 p.m. The NorthWood Field of Dreams Complex is located at 2101 N. Main St., Nappanee.

Ticket prices: $8/general admission, $10/reserved seating, $5/children 4-12, free for children 3 and under.

For more information, visit elkhartcountymiracle.com or email [email protected].