Coastal Plain League Successfully Expands

The summer-collegiate Coastal Plain League is continuing to expand its footprint in the South.

- Owen Mccue

In early June the CPL announced the addition of a 16th franchise in Macon, Ga. The most recent franchise added to the league, in 2016, also was based in Georgia: the Savannah Bananas.

The CPL has two teams in Virginia, 10 teams in North Carolina, two teams in South Carolina, and with the addition of the Macon franchise, will have two teams in Georgia starting in 2018.

“Obviously our footprint is in the ACC, SEC area,” CPL chief operating officer and commissioner Justin Sellers said. “We wanted to put our footprint down in there and create the opportunity to bring future CPL markets on board.”

The Macon franchise will move into historic Luther Williams Field after a $2.5 million renovation. The ballpark last hosted the South Atlantic League’s Macon Braves in 2002 and has had two short-lived independent league teams play in it since.

Luther Williams Field was also featured in the movies “42” and “Trouble With the Curve” and the TV show “Brockmire.”