The Butler BlueSox have put a quality product on the field while chasing a playoff spot during the Prospect League season.

Behind the action, the front office has been working hard to ensure the franchise provides a top-notch performance off the field, as well.

The staff is composed of six dedicated locals who have all worked with the organization for multiple seasons.

General manager Matt Cunningham — a 27-year-old Knoch graduate — started with Butler before the BlueSox had even played a game. He also works in-game entertainment for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cunningham oversees the front office, interns and volunteers to make sure everything runs smoothly during game day.

“I like to put a lot of trust into my staff. I like to let them take it and run with it,” said Cunningham. “It makes it easy when you have guys that are so good at what they do.”

The rest of the front office includes Butler grads Dallas O’Donnell, Patrick Reddick and Austin Snodgrass, along with Knoch grads Jerin Steele and Jeff Lyons.

Reddick, the director of communications, and Steele, the director of media relations, makes sure BlueSox fans are informed.

Reddick, 24, is the official scorekeeper for BlueSox home games and Steele provides a live broadcast on ButlerBlueSox.net.

The duo also writes summaries for every game.

“We’re the only team in the league that actually does that,” said Reddick, who started with the BlueSox in 2009. “We’ve always felt we should give them as much as we can.”

Steele, 26, joined the Butler staff as an intern in 2010 and began broadcasting last season.

“It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time, so it’s pretty cool that I’ve been able to get the experience here,” said Steele. “It’s a lot of fun.”

It comes with challenges, tough.

“There’s a lot of things you have to be ready for at a moment’s notice,” Steele explained. “Now, I have a backup plan to a backup plan to a backup plan in case something goes wrong.

“Some people think it’s easy, but there’s so much filler in between,” he added. “It’s almost like you’re talking to yourself all night. You have to act like you’re having a conversation with whoever’s listening out there, but you just can’t hear them.”

Reddick and Steele are veterans on the staff, but relaying information can be tough with a revolving roster.

“It’s difficult because the players change every year,” said Reddick. “We have to reintroduce a whole new team to those fans.

“Jerin probably knows more about the players than any of us,” he added.

“You have to,” said Steele. “Their parents are probably listening and you want to know what you’re talking about. I spent a lot of time researching before the season, so I knew what I was getting into this summer.”

While Reddick and Steele try to keep BlueSox fans updated, O’Donnell and Snodgrass make sure they fill the seats at Pullman Park.

O’Donnell, 24, has also worked for Butler since the team’s inception and is the director of ticket operations. Snodgrass, 23, interned for the BlueSox in 2011 and is now the director of baseball operations.

They answer phones, reply to emails and help customers who stop by, before heading down to the ticket gates to greet fans.

“Once I got here, tickets were kind of my interest,” said Snodgrass. “It’s worked out well. With me and him down there, we kind of just formed into a team.

“We joke around and call it ‘The Main Event.’”

Snodgrass also schedules umpires for each home game, reserves hotels and arranges “getaway” meals for the team at the Monroe Hotel.

“Both of us have a lot of jobs,” he said.

“That’s the thing with a small organization, you don’t necessarily have one definite job,” said O’Donnell. “You have to be broad.”

O’Donnell, who co-hosts the broadcast with Steele during road games, says booking tickets with business or church groups can boost attendance and revenue figures in a hurry.

“We have a core of season-ticket holders and families come, but that’s 300 or 400 people,” said O’Donnell. “The way you get to 600 or 700 fans a night is if you get groups.”

Once fans find their way to Pullman, Lyons tries to make sure they enjoy the experience.

Lyons, 25, interned last season and became the game entertainment coordinator this year. He’s in charge of organizing contests on the field, selecting music and making sure the correct promotions are run for sponsors.

“We have a schedule of everything that’s going to happen during the game in between innings,” he said.

Working for a baseball team has reignited a fondness for the sport.

“Before I started my internship, I wasn’t the biggest baseball fan,” Lyons admitted. “Working with it as much as I have over the last year and a half, it’s definitely grown on me again.

“I don’t think it matters what sport it is. If you go to work and you’re working with a sports team, it’s great.”

It’s a feeling every member of the staff shares.

“You can’t really beat working in sports,” said Cunningham. “I’m pretty sure that’s why we’re all here — the opportunity to work in baseball. I see enough of it between the Pirates and here. I think you have to enjoy it to work here.”

“I haven’t missed a game in five years,” said O’Donnell. “What’s the saying? ... ‘If you have fun at your job, you don’t work a day in your life.’ It’s kind of like that.”

Supportive ownership makes life a little easier, as well. Managing partner Wink Robinson plays a large role in the operation.

“He’s very hands-on, very involved and gives plenty of direction,” said Cunningham of Robinson. “He’s very accessible to all of our staff and all of our interns — and all of the other owners are, as well.

“They want to see this product look good and be a good representation of them, as well as the community.”

The front office is a group of co-workers, but forming friendships has made juggling two jobs and long hours at the park worthwhile.

“Matt is a really cool guy to work for. He’s a friend and a boss at the same time,” said Steele. “It’s really fun because I like what I’m doing and the guys we work with have good chemistry.”

“It’s a group of people you would hang out with even if you didn’t have to work,” said Reddick.

“It’s fun to be here and it’s fun to work with such talented people,” said Cunningham. “Everyone here knows when it’s time to get to work and when it’s time to have some fun.

“It can be tough to balance those two, but everyone here does a great job with it.”