Wilmington Sharks


Wilmington Sharks
Information
LeagueCoastal Plain League (East)
LocationWilmington, North Carolina
BallparkBuck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium
Founded1997
Nickname(s)Shaaarks, Sharks
Petitt Cup championships1998, 1999, 2024
ColorsNavy, Light Blue, and White
MascotSharky the Shark
OwnershipMatt Perry
ManagementNational Sports Services
WebsiteOfficial website

The Wilmington Sharks are an American baseball team in the East Division of the Coastal Plain League (CPL), a collegiate summer baseball league. The Sharks play their home games at Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium in Wilmington, North Carolina. Buck Hardee Field is more commonly referred to as "The Shark Tank."

The Sharks have over 15 Major League Baseball alumni including all-star Alec Bohm.

The Sharks were founded in 1997 as a pioneer member of the Coastal Plain League. The Sharks won the Petitt Cup Championship in 2024, and won the championship in 1998 and 1999 Pre-Petitt Cup.

On March 2, 2017, National Sports Service acquired the team from the Smith Family Baseball Wilmington, LLC, which had been the owners since 2014.[1] The 2017 season was the Sharks’ 20th season in Wilmington.[2]

The Coastal Plain League announced on Tuesday, September 3, 2019 that the Sharks were named the 2019 Coastal Plain League Organization of the Year.[3]

On January 29, 2024, the Sharks announced Brett Bloomquist as their new general manager. Since Bloomquist played for the team in 2008 as a left-handed pitcher, he has earned degrees from Appalachian State University and the University of Florida. Bloomquist's professional experience includes a distinguished 12-year career in the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer and time as a consultant of a big four firm. Bloomquist resides in the Cape Fear Area with his wife and three children.[4]

Sharky, an anthropomorphic gray shark, is the Sharks' mascot.

Recent seasons

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In the 2024 season, the Sharks finished with a 30-19 record and made the postseason due to second best overall record in the East Division after the Peninsula Pilots won both the first and second halves. Wilmington swept the three-game series against the Pilots to win the East Division championship for the fifth time in franchise history and in the second consecutive season. The Sharks faced the Lexington County Blowfish in the 2024 Petitt Cup Championship for the second straight year, sweeping the team two games to none. It was the Sharks first championship in the Petitt Cup era. Sharks pitching had a 1.50 ERA in the playoffs.

The 2023 season, the Sharks finished with a 24-21 record and was crowned the East Division Champions. The Sharks lost in the Petitt Cup Championship in the final game of the series to the Lexington Blowfish. The Sharks bolstered an impressive 19-6 home record as the Shark Tank provides one of the most unique atmospheres in the league. Wilmington maintained an average attendance of 1,500 - the second highest in The Coastal Plain League that year.

In the 2022 season, the Sharks barely missed the playoffs by three games and finished in 6th place. Their average attendance rose to 1,500.

For the 2021 season, the Sharks finished with a 23-19 record. They had their first winning season since 2017. Sharks finished the season in 6th place and their average attendance was 1,200.

2020 season, the CPL had planned to return to a two-division format, placing the Sharks in the East Division. The 2020 season was originally slated to begin on May 28. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, CPL postponed its opening day to July 1. In response to the pandemic and the attendant restrictions, the Sharks opted not to play the 2020 season.[5] (The CPL played a shortened season.) The Sharks returned to the CPL in the 2021 season, in the East Division.[6]

Coaching staff

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Russ Burroughs returns in 2024 for his fourth season as field manager for the Sharks. In 2023 the Sharks reached the Coastal Plain League playoffs for the first time since 2017 and won the CPL Eastern Division Championship. The pitching staff shined, finishing top 3 in multiple categories including ERA, runs allowed, earned runs, hits allowed, and BA against. He has led the Sharks to top six finishes in the 15-team CPL in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Sharks were just as strong on the mound in 2021 and 2022 with multiple top 3 finishes in the CPL. The 2022 season was no different for Burroughs’ pitching staff. Again, finishing in the top 3 in ERA, runs allowed, earned runs, WHIP, and BA against. During the 2021 campaign, Burroughs’s pitching staff finished top 3 in runs allowed, earned runs, hits allowed, and WHIP. Prior to joining the Sharks, Burroughs spent three seasons with the former CPL member Edenton Steamers. He served as the pitching coach in 2017 and was elevated to Head Coach in 2018 and 2019. In his five years of recruiting, 32 players under Burroughs have signed professional contracts, 4 players represented teams in the College World Series, 3 players represented in the World Baseball Classic, and 21 were named All-CPL first and second team honorees. Burroughs played four seasons of professional baseball, three with Independent teams and a year in international competition. During his time in professional baseball, Burroughs was used as a spot starter, left-handed specialist, and an emergency DH. Burroughs spends the offseason in Nashville, TN as the Head Baseball Instructor with Nashville Baseball Academy. He is in his 16th year with the Academy. He also works with Sidearm Nation, traveling around the world as a specialty instructor. Burroughs graduated from Lipscomb University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications. He currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

Austin Skipper joins the Sharks as an assistant coach, but he is no stranger to the organization. A Wilmington, NC native Skipper pitched consequently for the Sharks from 2018-2023. He played under Manager Russ Burroughs for the past three seasons. Skipper attended William Peace University where he was a 4-year starter and won All-Conference Honors in 2021. With two years of eligibility left he then attended Methodist University where he was voted team captain for the 2023 season. Skipper received his MBA in Business Administration at Methodist University all while achieving scholar athlete honors.

Rece Sabo will serve as an assistant coach for the Sharks. Rece is from Massillon, Ohio and played with the Sharks in 2021 and 2022 under Russ Burroughs. Sabo studied and played college baseball for Lake Erie College in Cleveland, Ohio. Graduated with a Bachelors in secondary 7-12 grade social studies education. Rece is currently a High School teacher and assistant baseball coach at Northwest High School.

Adam Cardin returns to the Sharks in 2024 after serving as an assistant in 2023. He has coached within the CPL for 7 Seasons. Cardin’s intro to coaching was with the GCL Pirates in Bradenton, FL after his playing career ended. Active in player development, he has seen 25 former players selected in the MLB draft and worked with former MLB All Stars. Cardin is a graduate of UNCW and currently resides in Wilmington with his family.

Uniforms

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The Sharks' colors are white, navy blue, and light blue. Their standard home uniform is a white jersey and white pants with navy and light blue trim, with SHARKS printed in stylized block font across the front. Other uniforms include white pants with a light blue jersey having the Sharks logo on the left breast, and white pants with a navy blue jersey having WILMINGTON printed across the front.

They wear two caps: one mostly navy blue except for a light blue bill and the other entirely navy blue. The Sharks logo is on the front of both caps.

Yearly records [7]

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Season Record Postseason Record
1997 22-28 DNQ
1998 27-23 Won Championship
1999 33-16 Won Championship
2000 9-11 DNQ
2001 12-15 --
2002 16-8 0-1
2003 14-11 0-1
2004 24-27 DNQ
2005 28-26 DNQ
2006 19-34 DNQ
2007 22-33 DNQ
2008 24-31 DNQ
2009 19-36 DNQ
2010 27-29 DNQ
2011 29-27 3-3
2012 29-23 0-2
2013 31-23 1-2
2014 24-30 DNQ
2015 29-24 3-3
2016 32-22 0-1
2017 31-24 3-2
2018 17-34 DNQ
2019 20-31 DNQ
2020 Did Not Play Did Not Play
2021 23-19 DNQ
2022 23-24 DNQ
2023 24-21 3-3
2024 26-19 4-0, Won Petitt Cup
Overall Record: 634-649 (.490) Postseason Record Since 2002: 17-18 (.486)

MLB alumni

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Other alumni

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DRAFTED ROUND PICK # PLAYER NAME POS SCHOOL MLB TEAM SHARKS YR(S)
2023 7 210 Scott Bandura OF Princeton San Francisco 2022
2023 10 286 Tom Reisenger P East Stroudsburg Oakland 2023
2023 14 410 David Smith INF Connecticut Detroit 2021
2023 19 565 Wyatt Crenshaw INF Co. Christian/Az.State Arizona 2022
2023 19 578 Josh Harlow P Mercer Cleveland 2021, 2023
2022 FA Max Alba P Liberty University Detroit 2021, 2022
2022 FA Alan Carter P Lee University Los Angeles (AL) 2022
2022 FA Maddux Houghton P Lipscomb University Minnesota 2022
2022 FA Liam Doolan P Tennessee Wesleyan Los Angeles (NL) 2022
2021 8 234 James Parker INF Clemson Seattle 2019
2021 10 298 Michael Sandle OF South Alabama Houston 2017
2021 16 481 Aaron McKeithan C Charlotte St. Louis 2019
2021 FA Joe Kemlage P American Int. San Francisco 2021
2019 9 261 Evan Braband P Liberty University Miami 2017
2019 9 287 Cody Scroggins P Arkansas Boston 2016
2019 10 315 Mitch Spence P USC Aiken New York (AL) 2017
2019 29 885 Chase Illig C West Virginia New York (AL) 2016
2018 1 3 Alec Bohm INF Wichita State Philadelphia 2016
2018 5 144 Grant Koch C Arkansas Pittsburgh 2016
2018 10 287 Madison Stokes INF South Carolina Philadelphia 2016
2018 12 371 Graham Lawson P South Carolina Washington 2017
2018 16 465 Dayton Dugas OF Wichita State Detroit 2017
2018 17 502 Justin Dean OF Lenoir-Rhyne Atlanta 2017
2018 18 549 Kyler Stout P Oral Roberts Arizona 2016
2018 20 606 Luke Moragan OF College of Charleston Colorado 2017
2018 26 777 Tyler Jones P Wichita State Miami 2015
2017 3 103 Matt Whatley C Oral Roberts Texas 2015
2017 8 235 Connor Riley P USC Aiken Los Angeles (AL) 2016
2017 14 417 Alex Destino OF South Carolina Chicago (AL) 2015
2017 21 620 Jeffrey 'Connor' Johnstone P Wake Forest Atlanta 2015
2017 21 627 John Parke P South Carolina Chicago (AL) 2014
2017 22 647 Justin Bellinger INF Duke Cincinnati 2014
2017 22 651 Brice Conley P Georgia State Oakland 2014
2017 22 672 Clark Scolamiero OF N. Greenville College Cleveland 2016

References

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  1. ^ "Veteran Minor League Owners Acquire Sharks". Archived from the original on 2017-08-17. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  2. ^ "Sharks Celebrate 20th Anniversary in Wilmington". Archived from the original on 2017-06-08. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
  3. ^ "Coastal Plain League".
  4. ^ "Coastal Plain League".
  5. ^ "Unknown".[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "2021 Coastal Plain League Schedule Announced! - Coastal Plain League". www.coastalplain.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01.
  7. ^ "Coastal Plain League".
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