Holly Springs to Host Coastal Plain League Baseball Team

By Erin Summers of WRAL 

Holly Springs leaders announced Tuesday that they have landed a Coastal Plain League baseball team and will build an all-sports stadium to host it.

The Coastal Plain League, made up of college-level talent playing a summer schedule in the Carolinas and Virginia, is headquartered in Holly Springs, and the new team will be added to the current 14-team roster. A name and mascot has yet to be determined.

Current NFL and former North Carolina State University quarterback Russell Wilson is the most recent famous CPL alum to come out of the Triangle.

Justin Sellers, commissioner of the CPL, said the proximity will help develop local college teams and players. The CPL expects to begin play in Holly Springs in 2015.

Mayor Dick Sears told invited guests and the media Tuesday that he expects the stadium development to create jobs and bring $5 to 6 million per year.

In addition to a 2,000-seat baseball diamond, the North Main Athletic Complex will include tennis courts and fields for football, soccer and lacrosse, Sears said. 

"We're trying to create a very unique and special town, and we believe the sports venue will add to that," he said.

Sellers was on hand for the announcement and shared his enthusiasm.

"This has been a project we have been trying to do for two years," Sellers said. "The Holly Springs market will fit perfectly into our geographic footprint."

He predicted summer camps and youth leagues would use the fields throughout the year.