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Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
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Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.
Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.
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Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.
Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
 | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 |
| No. of teams | 15 |
| Country |  United States |
Most recent champion | Wilmington Sharks (2026) |
| Most titles | Wilmington Sharks (4) |
| Website | coastalplain |
The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the United States. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal Plain League which operated in the area from 1937 to 1952.[1]
The modern CPL was formed with six teams in 1997.[2] The league has expanded over the years with teams across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia, with the 2024 addition of the Greenville Yard Gnomes being the most recent expansion, bringing the league to 15 teams.[3][4] On May 24, 2025, Alexia Jorge became the first woman to play in the CPL, which she did as a catcher for the Holly Springs Salamanders.[5]
Capitol Broadcasting Company purchased the league in 2022.[6]
The league was founded in 1997 by Pete Bock. He conceived the idea in the early 1990s while traveling long distances to the Valley Baseball League in Virginia to see his son, Jeff, play summer baseball. Bock, an experienced sports executive, wanted a collegiate summer league closer to his home. He acted on it, and the CPL began play for the 1997 season.[7]
The following teams will be on hiatus for the 2026 season:
| Team | Location | Ballpark | Capacity | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithfield Tobs | Smithfield, North Carolina | Smithfield Community Park | - | 1997 |
| Year | Pettit Cup Winner | Runner-up | Series Result | East Division winner | West Division winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wilson | Forest City | 2 games to 0 | Wilson | Forest City | ||
| 2024 | Wilmington | Lexington County | 2 games to 0 | Peninsula | Martinsville | ||
| 2023 | Lexington County | Wilmington | 2 games to 1 | Morehead City | Lexington County | ||
| 2022 | Savannah | Wilson | 2 games to 0 | Morehead City | Savannah | ||
| 2021 | Savannah | Morehead City | 2 games to 1 | Peninsula | Savannah | ||
| Year | Pettit Cup Winner | Runner-up | Series Result | North Division winner | South Division winner | East Division winner | West Division winner |
| 2019 | Morehead City | Macon | 2 games to 1 | Wilson | Savannah | Morehead City | Gastonia |
| 2018 | Morehead City | Thomasville | 2 games to 0 | Peninsula | Savannah | Morehead City | Thomasville |
| Year | Pettit Cup Winner | Runner-up | Series Result | East Division winner | West Division winner | ||
| 2017 | Gastonia | Wilmington | 2 games to 0 | Wilmington | Forest City | ||
| 2016 | Savannah | Peninsula | 2 games to 1 | Peninsula | Forest City | ||
| 2015 | Edenton | Gastonia | 2 games to 0 | Edenton | Asheboro | ||
| 2014 | Peninsula | Florence | 2 games to 1 | Peninsula | Florence | ||
| 2013 | Peninsula | Columbia | 2 games to 0 | Edenton | Asheboro | ||
| 2012 | Columbia | Fayetteville | 2 games to 1 | Edenton | Martinsville | ||
| Year | Pettit Cup Winner | Runner-up | Series Result | North Division winner | South Division winner | West Division winner | |
| 2011 | Gastonia | Edenton | 2 games to 1 | Edenton | Fayetteville | Thomasville | |
| 2010 | Forest City | Edenton | 2 games to 1 | Wilson | Morehead City | Gastonia | |
| 2009 | Forest City | Peninsula | 2 games to 0 | Peninsula | Wilson | Forest City | |
| Year | Pettit Cup Winner | Runner-up | Game Result | North Division winner | South Division winner | West Division winner | |
| 2008 | Thomasville | Florence | 7–4 | Peninsula | Wilson | Thomasville | |
| 2007 | Thomasville | Peninsula | 4–3 | Edenton | Fayetteville | Thomasville | |
| 2006 | Thomasville | Peninsula | 6–1 | Peninsula | Fayetteville | Martinsville | |
| 2005 | Edenton | Florence | 9–1 | Edenton | Florence | Gastonia | |
| 2004 | Edenton | Outer Banks | 13–2 | Edenton | Wilson | Thomasville | |
| 2003 | Outer Banks | Florence | 7–2 | Petersburg | Durham | Thomasville | |
| 2002 | Outer Banks | Petersburg | 10–6 | Outer Banks | Wilmington | Gastonia |
Playoff seedings based on overall record, so division champions listed are based on overall record.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Series Result | North Division winner | South Division winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Durham[14] | Wilson | Wilson | Fayetteville | |
| 2000 | Petersburg | Asheboro | Petersburg | Asheboro | |
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Series Result | First Half winner | Second Half winner |
| 1999 | Wilmington | Outer Banks | Wilmington | Outer Banks | |
| 1998 | Wilmington | Rocky Mount | Wilmington | Rocky Mount | |
| 1997 | Raleigh | Wilson | 2 games to 0 | Raleigh | Wilson |
The Americans have found success in recent years, including a league championship in winning the 2001 Petit Cup (as the Durham Braves).
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Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the United States. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal Plain League which operated in the area from 1937 to 1952.
The Coastal Plain League is a collegiate summer baseball league. Coastal Plain League may also refer to: Coastal Plain League (Class D), former minor league circuit (1937–1941,1946–1952) Coastal Plain League (semi pro), former semi-pro baseball circuit (1935–1936)
The Coastal Plain League was a Minor league baseball affiliated circuit which, except for the war years (1942–1945), operated in North Carolina between 1937 and 1952. It was classified as a "D" league. It grew out of a semi-pro league that operated from 1935 to 1936 under the same Coastal Plain League name. Today, the summer collegiate baseball league has revived the Coastal Plain League name.
The Tri-City Chili Peppers are a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the Coastal Plain League. The team plays its home games at Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights, Virginia. The team joined the league in 2020 but didn't play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their first ever game was an 11-8 loss to the Holly Springs Salamanders on the road in North Carolina on Friday, May 28, 2021. Their first ever home game was a 10-8 win over the Wilson Tobs on Monday, May 31, 2021. On June 1, 2024, the Chili Peppers played under conditions they described as "Cosmic Baseball." The game was played under black lights, with glow-in-the-dark balls, bats, bases and uniforms.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →The Greenwood District.