Chicago, Ill. – April 25, 2021 – The Midwest Collegiate League is deeply saddened by the loss of Mike Brown, who passed away on Wednesday, April 21 at the age of 51.

Brown was the owner of the Bloomington Bobcats, who were members of the Midwest Collegiate League from 2016-2019. In the team’s final season in the league, Brown led the Bobcats to their first MCL title by sweeping the Northwest Indiana Oilmen in the MCL Championship Series including a 2-1 win to clinch the crown on Aug. 10, 2019.

“Mike had a deep passion for the game of baseball and for life in general,” MCL Commissioner Don Popravak said. “He fielded championship-contending teams that contributed to our league’s high level of play, but most importantly he cared about the players on his team and everyone associated with the league on a personal level. On behalf of the Midwest Collegiate League, I’d like to offer our deepest condolences to Mike’s family.”

After playing collegiately at Illinois Wesleyan University, Brown went on to play professionally in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization from 1991-1993, appearing in a big-league spring training game. He spent 22 years as an assistant coach at Illinois Wesleyan and is a well-known baseball figure in the Bloomington-Normal area.