The Lynchburg Hillcats have officially announced a major change to their franchise identity. Beginning with the 2026 season, the organization will rebrand as the Hill City Howlers, marking the first name change in Lynchburg, Virginia in more than 30 years since Calvin Falwell brought Carolina League Baseball to the city in 1966.
Despite the new identity, the franchise will remain the Single-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians, ensuring continuity on the field as the club enters a new era off it.
After the 2025 season, the team’s management decided the Howlers would bring a fresh look to the city of Lynchburg, designed to generate renewed excitement and attract increased attention to baseball.
“We needed some energy,” Hill City Howlers owner Dylan Narang said in a press release. “Getting a jolt of energy to the team, to the organization, and to the community, was important. What we landed on is something that has not been done before in Minor League Baseball.”
Along with a fresh brand for the team, the stadium will undergo changes as well. These Opening Day renovation updates include a new scoreboard in left field with an electronic ribbon, a bigger team store, and a grab-n-go dining option. Other renovations will continue throughout the season.
The Howlers’ hopeful new jolt of energy will be embodied by five mascots: Indy the Werewolf, Murray the Mummy, Daisy the Bride, Victor the Vampire, and Gilly the Creature. According to local legend, the group found their way to City Stadium by way of the tunnels underneath the ballpark and Spring Hill Cemetery, and for all their differences, they had one thing in common: they loved baseball.
“This didn’t come lightly,” Narang said. “I had a lot of meetings and discussions about the future of baseball in Lynchburg — with MLB, with the city and with my staff.”
This marks the franchise’s first complete rebrand since before the 2017 season. During that offseason, fans were given the opportunity to vote on a new team name, though the community ultimately chose to retain the Hillcats’ identity.
The Howlers play their first game of the 2026 season on April 2 as they travel to Kannapolis, North Carolina to take on the Cannon Ballers in a three-game set.
The team will unveil its new logo, colors and identity to the Lynchburg community on April 7 at 6:30 p.m. when the Howlers host the Fredericksburg Nationals in their home opener.
Clingman is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.