So Minnesota: Winona baseball bat company

So Minnesota: Pillbox Bat Co. in Winona

So Minnesota: Pillbox Bat Co. in Winona

For nearly a decade, a Winona baseball bat company has been knocking it out of the park.

Zak Fellman and his lifelong friend Dan Watson started Pillbox Bat Company in 2015. The two decided to create a company selling art baseball bats meant to be displayed as sports memorabilia.

“We’re all creating art for baseball fans, you know, it’s great,” Fellman said.

The company name pays tribute to an old downtown St. Paul baseball park.

“It’s so small, they nicknamed it ‘The Pillbox’ because it was just so tiny,” Fellman said.

The company can make 200 to 300 bats per week, using maple and ash wood.

Last year, Pillbox Bat Company was called up to the big leagues, getting Major League Baseball approval for licensing many of its products.

“We’re one of two or three in the world that can put an MLB logo on a bat for a retail setting,” Fellman said.