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Salamanders Serve up Fun in Holly Springs

by Fran Stuchbury
July 13, 2019 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Holly Springs Salamanders


Holly Springs Salamanders bat dog Ripken
Holly Springs Salamanders bat dog Ripken
(Holly Springs Salamanders, Credit: Fran Stuchbury)

This week I attended my first ever Coast Plain League Holly Springs Salamanders game against the Fayetteville SwampDogs at Ting Park in Holly Springs, NC.

Ting is an 1,800 seat multi-sport stadium with synthetic turf field that is used for football, baseball, lacrosse and soccer programs as well as rentals, concerts, festivals and other events. Every seat in the ballpark has a great view and fans are very close to the action. Parking is free.

The Salamanders promotion on the night I attended was Bark at the Park so fans were able to take dogs with them to the ballpark.

The Holly Springs Salamanders began play in 2015, and this is their fifth season. They have been owned by Capitol Broadcasting since November of 2017. Capitol Broadcasting also owns the Durham Bulls, WRAL-TV and other media entities.

The Salamanders head coach is Kevin Soine in his first season with the team. He spent the last two years as head coach for the Coastal Plain League's Martinsville Mustangs.

The Coastal Plain League is a wood-bat collegiate summer league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. College players are able to play and still keep their college eligibility intact. The league was formed in with six teams in 1997 and has expanded over the years across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. It is now celebrating its 23rd season. The league now consists of 16 teams separated in four divisions of four teams.

The CPL plays a 52-game schedule from late May to mid-August. They have an annual Pro Scouts Day, All-Star Game and a post-season championship playoff.

Over 1,500 of its players have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams and 122 of them have made it to the majors. Some notable alumni include American League MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, Ryan Zimmerman, Chris Taylor, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, and NFL Super Bowl XLVIII champion quarterback Russell Wilson.

The Salamanders have two ticket options: reserved covered for $11 and reserved for $10. They team offers reasonably priced concessions. One can have a burger, chips and a drink for $10. The team store offers a variety of merchandise. I bought a Salamanders magnet to put on my refrigerator for $5.

The game was twice delayed by weather before starting at 9:00 pm. The team offered discounted food for the reamining fans, including selling hot dogs for a dollar.

In the end, the Holly Springs Salamanders defeated the Fayetteville SwampDogs 7-1. Third baseman and cleanup hitter Jake Holtzapple led the team with four hits, one RBI and two runs scored. He is a red-shirt sophomore at North Carolina. Centerfielder Matthew Turino, a sophomore at Tennessee, contributed two hits, one run scored and a stolen base. First baseman Chris Crabtree added two hits and one run scored. He is a sophomore at Duke.

The Salamanders gave up one run in the first inning. After the lightning delay Holden Cook, a sophomore at Eastern Michigan, came into the game and pitched four scoreless innings. Senier Tyler Vogel from Wisconsin-Platteville then pitched three scoreless innings. Junior Kyle Davis of Mount Olive closed out the game for the Salamanders in the ninth inning.

Along with a victory, Holly Springs served up some fun. The Salamanders have their own bat dog Ripken, He retrieves the bats after every at bat, and he even has his own Facebook page.

A Holly Springs Salamanders game is very affordable, perfect for the families. Fans are very close to the action, with not a bad seat anywhere. Plus, the team runs many fun promotions throughout the season.

If you live in North Carolina and you are not the far from Holly Springs, attending a Holly Springs Salamanders game is a fun and affordable experience.




Images from this story

Ting Field, home of the Holly Springs Salamanders
Ting Field, home of the Holly Springs Salamanders
 Ting Field, home of the Holly Springs Salamanders
Ting Field, home of the Holly Springs Salamanders
(Fran Stuchbury)		 Author Fran Stuchbury with the Holly Springs Salamanders logo
Author Fran Stuchbury with the Holly Springs Salamanders logo
(Fran Stuchbury)
Holly Springs Salamanders bat dog Ripken
Holly Springs Salamanders bat dog Ripken
(Fran Stuchbury)		   

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Coastal Plain League Stories from July 13, 2019


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