Ballparks of America hires new GM

provided by Ballparks of America

Kelly Ahrens has joined Ballparks of America as its new general manager.

Branson sports venue Ballparks of America has hired a new general manager.

Sports industry veteran and former professional baseball player Kelly Ahrens has been selected for the role, according to a news release. He'll also lead the Sho-Me Baseball organization led by the same ownership group behind Ballparks of America.

"Kelly brings energy and new concepts to the table, and he will work tirelessly to carry out ownership’s vision for both Sho-Me Baseball and Ballparks of America," said Paul Satterwhite, a Ballparks of America co-owner, in the release.

Ahrens, a Columbia, South Carolina, native, is the founder of two athletics companies: Stars and Stripes Sports, organizing state, regional, national, and international events for baseball and softball players, and Test and Train Sports, a sporting testing service. Ahrens also has coached at multiple levels after a stint in professional baseball; he was a catcher for the San Francisco Giants organization in the minor leagues, according to his LinkedIn profile.

At Ballparks of America, he'll lead a 70-acre baseball destination that has five Major League replica fields. Sho-Me Baseball is a baseball training and tournament facility on Table Rock Lake, less than 30 minutes from Ballparks of America.

Ahrens succeeds Scott Bailes, who exited earlier this year for a role with the Springfield Cardinals, according to past reporting.