COMSTOCK PARK, Mich — The 2026 West Michigan Whitecaps took the field at LMCU Ballpark for their first full practice of the year on Tuesday before the rain hit.
The squad features 14 players returning from last year's Midwest League championship team. They will be led by a new face, manager Rene Rivera, who replaces former manager, Tony Cappuccilli, who was promoted to the Erie SeaWolves following his championship run with West Michigan.
Returning outfielder Jackson Strong played for both Cappuccilli and Rivera, and told us both men are great leaders.
"I had Renee last year in Lakeland, so I played with him, or he managed me quite a bit last year, so I've kind of gotten used to his style, for sure. Cap was great too. I mean, obviously, led a championship team last year. He's up in Erie. They're looking to do the same thing again. But I think overall, it's just Rene has been there. He's played nine, nine or 10 years in the majors, so he has a ton of experience around in the game at the highest level, and I think, you know, he knows what it takes to get there," Strong said.
First full practice of the season for your @wmwhitecaps.
— Andy Curtis (@AndyCurtisTV) March 31, 2026
Season starts Thursday #milb @tigers pic.twitter.com/38yFMXdsDG
This year's squad knows they have big shoes to fill, but it is a challenge they are all more than up for.
"It's nice to be back. It's nice to be back at the same team. It's nice to be back in West Michigan," returning infielder Woody Hadeen said.
"Last year, I mean, we were free and easy-going the whole year for the most part. I mean, [it] ended up working out just about as good as it can go," returning pitcher CJ Weins said. "I think we're gonna carry that into the same thing this year. We've been playing with these guys for a minute, and I think it's, you know, just bringing it up here and translating it to this level. I think, I think it'll be good,"
The team will not have to wait too long before getting back into the full swing of things. The Whitecaps start the season on Thursday on the road against Lake County before returning home to LMCU Ballpark on April 7.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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