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FL Down East Bird Dawgs

Bird Dawgs fill key front office roles for 2025 season

December 20, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Down East Bird Dawgs News Release


KINSTON, North Carolina (December 20, 2024) - The Down East Bird Dawgs, along with the Frontier League, an MLB Partner League, are thrilled to fill the key front office roles for the 2025 season with the hiring of Shari Massengill as General Manager; Janell Fitch as Assistant General Manager; Kristopher Dumschat as Director of Marketing, Promotions & Fan Experience; Christopher Renfrow as Director of Ticket Operations & Sales; and Sander Stotland as Food & Beverage Manager.

Shari Massengill, General Manager

Office: 252.549.4388 ext.100 | Email: smassengill@downeastbirddawgs.com

Shari Massengill joined the Down East Bird Dawgs in October 2024 as the team's first General Manager, helping to build the brand-new professional baseball team with the Frontier League in Kinston, NC for their inaugural 2025 season. Massengill brings a wealth of knowledge, with over 20 years of experience in the baseball industry. As a Kinston, NC native, she's excited to lead the new team in her home community, an area with historic baseball roots.

Massengill's experience in baseball includes most recently serving as General Manager for the Holly Springs Salamanders from 2022-2024. She was also Assistant General Manager for eight seasons with the Gwinnett Stripers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Prior to her time in Gwinnett, she worked in the Carolina League with the Kinston Indians for 15 years, serving as Assistant General Manager for nine seasons before being promoted to the role of General Manager in 2004.

During her time in Holly Springs, she was honored with the Chamber Glass Ceiling Award from the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce in 2023. While in Kinston, Massengill was recognized as the recipient of the Rawlings Female Executive of the Year in 2007, in addition to earning Carolina League Executive of the Year honors that same season. The next year, she was featured in Forbes Magazine as "One of 5 Women Executives in Baseball".

Q&A with Shari

Favorite Baseball Player(s): Hands down, Victor Martinez.

Favorite Movie: Anything with Julia Roberts

Fun Facts: In my first year as the GM for the Kinston Indians, we won the Championship! The team's manager was Torey Luvollo, who is now the current Manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks! Additionally, the Kinston Indians won the championship during the first year of my sports career in 1995. That team included Bartolo Colon, Richie Sexson, Einar Diaz, amongst many other greats on the roster!

Janell Fitch, Assistant General Manager

Office: 252.549.4388 ext.101 | Email: jfitch@downeastbirddawgs.com

Janell Fitch, a Bear Grass, North Carolina native, joined the Down East Bird Dawgs in November 2024, after years of working in professional baseball. Fitch has been working in baseball since she was 19. Her first role was with the Kinston Indians, as an intern.

She graduated from ECU in Greenville, NC and after college, returned to the Kinston Indians as the Assistant General Manager where she remained until the Indians moved on from the Kinston area. Fitch spent time working in the front office for the Nashville Sounds and the Carolina Mudcats until the Texas Rangers brought baseball back to Kinston in 2017, with the introduction of the Down East Wood Ducks, a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate. Fitch served as the Assistant General Manager for the Wood Ducks from day one until the team's last day in September 2024. Fitch currently resides in Dudley, NC with her husband and their animals.

Q&A with Janell

Favorite Baseball Player(s): Francisco Lindor

Favorite Movie: Murder of Crows

Fun Facts: My husband Daniel and I love to travel as often as we can. We love to go to hockey games! We also have 11 pets, and I volunteer with Lucky Cats of Kinston (TNRM).

Kristopher Dumschat, Director of Marketing, Promotions & Fan Experience

Office: 252.549.4388 ext.102 | Email: Kristopher.Dumschat@downeastbirddawgs.com

Kristopher Dumschat joined the Down East Bird Dawgs in October 2024 as the team's Director of Marketing, Promotions & Fan Experience. Dumschat is helping to build the Bird Dawgs brand, focusing on bringing not only a talented baseball team to Kinston, but also by building a top-notch family fun experience for all the surrounding communities.

Dumschat brings over a decade of marketing and communications experience to the team. He's spent the last 11 years working for highly respected organizations like the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross, where he has built relationships within communities across the country, while working to build brand awareness and by telling the incredible stories of each organizations mission delivery.

Dumschat recently served as the On-Field Emcee during the 2024 season for the Holly Springs Salamanders, a baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, where he also provided support with communications needs such as video production, photography, graphic design and promotional planning. During the offseason, Dumschat is a freelance emcee & host for community & charity functions, sporting events, corporate meetings and more!

Originally from Easton, Pennsylvania, Dumschat has always had deep roots to North Carolina with family living in the Wilmington area. He moved to North Carolina in 2020 and has enjoyed learning all about how baseball is intertwined in so many southern communities. He aspires to bring new and exciting 'out-of-the-box' thinking to the Bird Dawgs to make every game an experience to remember!

Q&A with Kris

Favorite Baseball Player(s): Growing up it was Mark McGwire, because I got my first baseball off a foul ball he hit. More recently I have enjoyed watching players like David Ortiz, mainly for his shenanigans, and Kyle Schwarber for all those Schwarbombs!

Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump - nothing else comes close.

Fun Facts: I enjoy hiking and exploring state and national parks. My best bud is Blizzard, my 4-year-old all-white Goldendoodle, who frequently visits the ballpark and hangs out in the Front Office!

Christopher Renfrow, Director of Ticket Operations & Sales

Office: 252.549.4388 ext.103 | Email: crenfrow@downeastbirddawgs.com

Christopher Renfrow joins the Down East Bird Dawgs as the Director of Ticket Operations & Sales, bringing a wealth of experience in event operations, sponsorship development, and customer service. Renfrow is no stranger to the sports industry, having recently held the role of Director of Florida with the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, where he managed large-scale tournaments, developed partnerships, and drove revenue growth.

As a graduate of North Carolina State University, Renfrow's passion focuses on building lasting relationships and delivering exceptional experiences. His leadership skills, combined with his dedication to sports, make him an asset to the Bird Dawgs as they prepare for their inaugural 2025 season in Kinston, NC at Historic Grainger Stadium.

Renfrow's prior achievements include leading Team USA to consecutive victories in the 2023 and 2024 North America Cup and earning recognition for his outstanding communication and leadership abilities.

Q&A with Christopher

Favorite Baseball Player(s): Trea Turner, NC State baseball Alum!

Favorite Movie: Meet the Parents

Fun Facts: Christopher is a lifelong Wolfpack Club member and a big NC State fan with countless family members who are proud alums. Additionally, he is a seasoned traveler who has lived in four countries-Thailand, China, Canada, and the United States-and six U.S. states, including Minnesota, California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina. His adventures have taken him to five of the seven continents, with only Europe and Antarctica left to explore!

Sander Stotland, Food & Beverage Manager

Office: 252.549.4388 ext.104 | Email: sstotland@downeastbirddawgs.com

Sander Stotland joins the Down East Bird Dawgs as the new Food & Beverage Manager for the 2025 inaugural season! Stotland has a wealth of experience in the sports and entertainment industry as an award-winning and world-record holding creator.

Some of Stotland's experience includes roles like the Head of Concessions for the 17,000 seat Wells Fargo Arena along with the 300,000 square foot Iowa Events center. He also served as the General Manager of Food for the Sanford Pentagon and Sioux Falls Baseball Stadium Sioux Falls, SD. Stotland has organized numerous events including concerts by Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw and Big and Rich. He's also organized various youth sports tournaments and multiple Division 1 basketball games.

In the past, Stotland worked the NFL's Super Bowl in 2004, multiple NCAA Final Four and National Championship games, including three NCAA Division 2 Men's and Women's Basketball National Championships and Multiple NCAA College Bowl Games.

Stotland owned a Food and Beverage Company that provided services to four minor league baseball teams across three states. His creativity has helped invent WOW factor concession items such as the first commercially available TURDUKEN Hot Dog, which obtained USDA approval, and he holds the record for world's most expensive concession Hot Dog, which has been featured in several publications. Look up the price, we dare you!

In addition to his role with the Bird Dawgs for the upcoming 2025 season, Stotland is additionally the President/GM of a Collegiate Wood Bat League Team in Connecticut and Massachusetts and is a minority owner of a Summer Collegiate Wood Bat League Team in Massachusetts. Stotland has also had success building and operating a 336-seat sports bar in Texas and was a member of the opening management team of NRG Stadium (Houston Texans) and the Toyota Center (Houston Rockets).

Prior to his career in the sports and entertainment industry, Stotland achieved the rank of detective sergeant for the Manvel, TX police department where he also participated in multi-jurisdictional gang and narcotics task forces working under-cover.

Q&A with Sander

Favorite Baseball Player(s): Nolan Ryan

Favorite Movie: Lion King

Fun Facts: I once played football with Brooks and Dunn, played pickleball with Dustin Lynch, and had dinner with Miranda Lambert. I am also an avid Disney figurine collector!

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