Grand Island (NE) – The Fightin’ Cranes are excited to announce Kevin Grant as the team’s first field manager. Grant, an accomplished baseball coach and U.S. Navy veteran, brings a wealth of experience in player development, recruitment, and team leadership across both collegiate and summer league programs. He currently serves as an Assistant Coach at Marshalltown Community College in Iowa, where he helps shape player development and contributes to the overall success of the program.

“We’re laying the foundation for something special here. The Fightin’ Cranes will be known for how we prepare, how we compete, and how we carry ourselves on and off the field. I’m fired up to lead a team that reflects this place—tough, disciplined, and committed to doing things the right way—and we’re ready to set the tone this season,” 

Grant’s extensive coaching background includes his role as Associate Head Coach at Cornell College, where he led recruiting operations, implemented defensive strategies, and mentored student-athletes both on and off the field. He has also worked with the University of Evansville, where he supported daily practice and game operations while assisting with scouting and player development. Additionally, Grant has coaching experience in the summer collegiate ranks, serving as Hitting Coach for the Edenton Steamers and Field Manager for the Texarkana Rhinos, where he led the team through its inaugural season and cultivated a competitive, disciplined team culture.

A proud veteran of the U.S. Navy, Grant served as a Crash Crewman aboard the U.S.S. Kearsarge (LHD 3), where his leadership and dedication to teamwork shaped his coaching philosophy. His military background, combined with years of coaching at the high school, travel ball, and collegiate levels, has allowed him to build a reputation for creating athlete-centered environments focused on growth, accountability, and fundamentals.

With his leadership, the Fightin’ Cranes look ahead to a season defined by energy, identity, and a renewed standard of excellence.

GRAND ISLAND, NE – In recognition of the more than the one million Sandhill Cranes which migrate each spring to Grand Island, the new summer collegiate baseball team coming to Ryder Park this spring will be known as the “Fightin’ Cranes.”

“Hundreds of people participated in our name the team contest,” stated Matt Perry, Diamond Baseball League co-founder.  “Cranes was a predominant theme, and in the final voting, Fightin’ Cranes was the clear winner.”

The new marks, created internally and then finalized by Zachry Design of Abilene, Texas, showcase the red and grey coloring of the Sandhill Crane and feature both the wing and head in multiple marks.

For more information on the Grand Island Fightin’ Cranes, visit www.fightincranes.com

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The Grand Island Fightin’ Cranes are owned and operated by the Diamond Baseball League (www.thedbl.com).  The DBL management team has over 100 years of combined sports experience, including ownership and operation of collegiate summer, independent professional and minor league teams, and leadership positions in Major League Baseball. 

The DBL owns and operates all six teams in the league to ensure operational consistency and efficiency and the long-term financial security and growth of the League.  The DBL season begins May 28 and concludes August 1.  The Fightin Cranes will play 50 games over the course of the 2026 season.

The summer college baseball team coming to Ryder Park this summer, has opened an office on the second floor of the Yancey Building in downtown Grand Island.  People are encouraged to stop by Monday through Friday to learn more about the team, the Diamond Baseball League, and to meet John Costa, the team’s Director of Ticket Sales & Operations.

John recently relocated to Grand Island from Washington State.  He worked previously for the Wilmington (NC) Sharks of the Coastal Plain League, where he successfully managed financial reporting, oversaw point of sale systems and streamlined operational tasks.

Also joining Grand Island’s new team is Scott Galusha as Director of Community Relations.  Scott has been a teacher at Grand Island High School and has been a high school coach since 1991.  For the past six years he was Co-Owner and President of the Hastings Sodbusters.  The Hastings team is being acquired by the Diamond Baseball League and is moving to the DBL.

The Grand Island team is currently in the final days of a name the team contest.  More than 50 different names were submitted by local residents for the name of the new team.  Based on fan votes and creativity, the final possible team names are –

• Hoppers
• Hot Shots
• Thunder Cows
• Fighting Cranes
• Spikers
• Mammoths

To cast your vote for one of these finalists, visit www.fightincranes.com. Everyone who submits a name for the team or votes in this ‘final round’ will receive a complimentary ticket for a game during the 2026 season.  Voting concludes at midnight on October 31.

The Diamond Baseball League (DBL) is a professional-grade collegiate summer baseball league which will begin play in 2026. The League will focus on providing an atmosphere that mirrors the minor league baseball experience for fans, sponsors, and players with a heavy emphasis on promotions,  events to benefit the community and affordable, family entertainment.

The League has secured its six inaugural markets in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, which include first class facilities and multi-year stadium leases.  In addition to Grand Island, team locations have been announced for Hastings, Nebraska and Jefferson City, Missouri.  The final three markets will be announced over the course of the next few weeks. The league will own and operate each of the six inaugural teams to ensure operational consistency and efficiency and the long-term financial security and growth of the League.

To learn more about the Diamond Baseball League visit www.thedbl.com.

GRAND ISLAND, NE – More than 50 different names were submitted by local residents for the name of Grand Island’s new baseball team slated to begin play in May 2026 at Ryder Park. Based on fan votes and creativity, the final potential team names are –

• Hoppers
• Hot Shots
• Thunder Cows
• Fighting Cranes
• Spikers
• Mammoth

Hoppers is a reference to grasshoppers, which are plentiful on the plains.

Hot Shots are high priority trains that carry important freight.

Thunder Cows is a fun play on the popular farm animal.

Fighting Cranes is a nod to the migratory sandhill cranes.

Spikers is a reference to railroad spikes, a critical element in building railroads.

Mammoth roamed the grasslands of Nebraska in prehistoric times.  

To cast your vote for one of these finalists, visit https://fightincranes.com/name-grand-islands-team/. Everyone who submits a name for the team or votes in this ‘final round’ will receive a complimentary ticket for a game during the 2026 season.

The Grand Island team is a member of the Diamond Baseball League (DBL) which is a professional-grade collegiate summer baseball league to begin its first season in 2026. The League will focus on providing a minor league baseball experience for fans, sponsors, and players with a heavy emphasis on promotions and events which benefit the community and offer affordable, family entertainment. 

The League has secured its six inaugural markets in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, which include first class facilities and multi-year stadium leases. In addition to Grand Island, the DBL has announced teams in Hastings, Nebraska and Jefferson City, Missouri. The remaining markets will be announced over the next few weeks. The league will own and operate all the teams to ensure operational consistency and efficiency and the long-term financial security and growth of the League. 

The DBL management team has over 100 years of combined professional sports experience, including ownership and operation of collegiate summer, independent professional and minor league teams, and leadership positions in Major League Baseball. The leadership team includes Bill Davidson and Matt Perry of National Sports Services (www.nsssports.com), Ralph Nelson, a former Major League Baseball executive, and Dan Roman, a CPA with extensive financial experience in the sports industry. 

To learn more about the Diamond Baseball League visit www.thedbl.com.

Grand Island, Nebraska is the first franchise to be announced in the new Diamond Baseball League. The Diamond Baseball League (DBL) is a professional-grade collegiate summer baseball league which will begin play in 2026. The League will focus on providing a minor league baseball experience for fans, sponsors, and players with a heavy emphasis on promotions and events to benefit the community and affordable, family entertainment.

The DBL has entered into a multi-year lease agreement with the City of Grand Island to play at Ryder Park, which is undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation.  The League has committed to investing $250,000 in supporting the facility upgrades at Ryder Park.

During the inaugural 2026 season, DBL teams will play a 50-game schedule from May 28 through August 1, followed by playoffs. The Grand Island franchise will hire a full-time staff that will reside in the market, and a coaching staff that will secure and manage the team’s roster.

The League has secured its six inaugural markets in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, which include first class facilities and multi-year stadium leases.  The other markets will be announced over the course of the next few weeks. The league will own and operate each of the six inaugural teams to ensure operational consistency and efficiency and the long-term financial security and growth of the League.

The DBL management team has over 100 years of combined professional sports experience, including ownership and operation of collegiate summer, independent professional and minor league teams, and leadership positions in Major League Baseball. The leadership team includes Bill Davidson and Matt Perry of National Sports Services (www.nsssports.com), Ralph Nelson, a former Major League Baseball executive, and Dan Roman, a CPA with extensive financial experience in the sports industry.

Matt Perry commented, “We’re incredibly excited to bring a first-class operation to Grand Island and Ryder Park and want to thank City staff and the board of the American Legion in working through the details of making this happen.” 

The DBL is conducting a name the team contest for the Grand Island franchise. To suggest a name for Grand Island’s new team, visit www.fightincranes.com. Everyone who submits a name for the team will receive a complimentary ticket for a game during the 2026 season.

The League will schedule a “meet and greet” event with League founders soon with details to come.

To learn more about the Diamond Baseball League visit www.thedbl.com.