Lakeview grad Travis Snyder enjoying time with Kalamazoo Growlers

Maybe Travis Snyder was thinking it might be nice to spend some time at home before going away in the fall for another year of school.

Or, maybe he was just looking to get a few more innings of summer baseball.

Whatever the reason, Snyder is enjoying his time with the Kalamazoo Growlers as the Northwoods League team finishes up the 2019 season.

Snyder, a former Lakeview High baseball standout, was signed by the Growlers last week to help the team fill out the roster and finish the season, as often, Northwoods League teams have a need as players return home at the request of their college program.

"I had been playing in the Great Lakes League for a team in Canada all summer and I was scheduled to pitch the last game of the year, but it got rained out," Snyder said. "So that season ended and I sent an email to Kalamazoo to see what options there were there and they got back to me and picked me up to finish the season.

"Then, the first day  here, they threw me out there for an inning, so I'm already getting used to it."

The Growlers, in-state rivals of the Battle Creek Bombers, are making a late playoff push as they finish the season with four home games this weekend.

Snyder sees his short stint with the Growlers as a way to continue to improve as he will begin play at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, starting in the fall. He previously pitched one season for Kellogg Community College and played in the Battle Creek City Major summer league last year for a span.

"Really, just trying to continue to develop my arm and keep in shape for the fall," Snyder said. "In Canada, they play in the fall because of the weather. So I want to hit the ground running when I go up there and hopefully help them win a championship."

Playing for the St. Clair Green Giants in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, Snyder pitched in eight games, starting three, and was among the leaders on the team with an ERA of 2.88.

As a bonus to getting some extra playing time with the Growlers, Snyder gets to sleep in his own bed at home and see some old friends.

"I already connected with a few guys I used to play with in high school and already saw a few more people I knew over here in Kalamazoo who came over to see the games," Snyder said. "It's been fun to play for the Growlers. When I was a kid, I was always going to Bombers games, and even went to a couple Growlers games. I always looked up to those guys when I was a kid, and the fact that I am playing with those guys now is awesome."