Award-winning director acquires professional baseball team in Colorado

Well-known director and producer Mike Tollin has officially acquired the Grand Junction Jackalopes baseball club, with the Jackalopes part of the historic Pioneer Baseball League.

Tollin has long been an avid fan of the game, playing both baseball and basketball for Haverford College between 1947 and 1951. Tollin, however, is best-known for his award-winning roles in the entertainment industry.

Most recently, people may recognize the Tollin name from the 2020 documentary series about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls called 'The Last Dance,' which won an Emmy in the 'Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series' category. Tollin was the executive producer of that.

Among Tollin's other highly-recognizable entertainment productions include Nickelodeon's All That (executive producer), the 2003 film Radio (Director), ESPN's 30 for 30 series (consulting producer, executive producer), the 1999 film Varsity Blues (executive producer), 2002's Big Fat Liar (producer), the 1997 film Good Burger (producer), and 2007's Wild Hogs (producer). The list goes on to include a total of 125 producer listings, 16 writer listings, and 23 director listings on IMDB , along with 7 notable awards and 10 other nominations.

"I'm so excited to be a part of the Grand Junction community and look forward to reinventing the Jackalopes baseball club to better serve the community by providing fun, affordable, family-friendly entertainment all summer long," said Tollin. "I'm looking forward to connecting the Jackalopes to the fans and local businesses in a new way, and we're determined to make attending Jackalopes games this season a completely different experience."

Last season, the Jackalopes finished with a 45-51 losing record – last place in the south division of the league. Following other previous affiliations, the Jackalopes were associated with the Colorado Rockies from 2001 until 2020, going independent after that.

Key moves already made by Tollin include rehiring the front-office staff led by team President Mick Ritter and General Manager Harrison Shapiro.

Season tickets are now on sale at 1315 North Ave, and single-game tickets will go on sale on May 1, 2024.

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)