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The Edenton Steamers are a
collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
team located in
Edenton, North Carolina Edenton is a town in, and the county seat of, Chowan County, North Carolina, United States, on Albemarle Sound. The population was 4,397 at the 2020 census. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has b ...
. Beginning in 2020 they will participate in the Tidewater Summer League. 2019 was the Steamers 22nd year as a member of the
Coastal Plain League The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal League which operated in the area from 19 ...
where they won 11 North Division titles and 7 East Division titles, three Petitt Cup Championships, and had a league-record 14-year streak (2004–2017) of posting a winning record, having made a playoff appearance in 13 of those seasons. Edenton also established a CPL standard by winning seven consecutive division-half titles from 2011 through the first half of 2014. In 2015 the Steamers capped the summer with its third Petitt Cup Championship, tied for the league record in that tally, and was named the Summer Collegiate Team of the Year by Perfect Game CrossChecker. Steamers players are recruited from colleges around the United States. The team's nickname and logo reflects steamed
clam Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two she ...
s.


CPL and the Steamers

The Edenton Steamers began play in the
Coastal Plain League The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal League which operated in the area from 19 ...
(CPL) in 1998, the league's sophomore season and were members of the CPL's North Division along with the
Martinsville Mustangs The Martinsville Mustangs are a baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays its home games at Hooker Field in Martinsville, Virginia. The Mustangs first started participating in the Coastal Pla ...
,
Peninsula Pilots The Peninsula Pilots are an amateur baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays its home games at the War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, Virginia. The Pilots first started participating in the Coa ...
, and
Wilson Tobs The Wilson Tobs are an amateur baseball team playing in the Coastal Plain League, an NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays its home games at Fleming Stadium in Wilson, North Carolina Wilson is a city in and the ...
.


Steamers history


Historic Hicks Field

The Edenton Steamers call
Historic Hicks Field Historic Hicks Field is a historic baseball stadium and national historic district located in Edenton, North Carolina, ( Chowan County). The stadium is home to the John A. Holmes High School Aces as well as the Edenton Steamers of the Coastal ...
home, located adjacent to John A. Holmes High School on the corner of East Freemason and Woodward streets in Edenton, North Carolina and was built as a
Work Projects Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
(WPA) project in 1939. The main structure is an all-wood grandstand with a roof that was built to accommodate slightly more than 500 people. The main grandstand is the oldest remaining wooden grandstand of its type in North Carolina. Hicks Field was home to minor league baseball and semipro teams up until 1952, including the Edenton Colonials of the original Coastal Plain League, the Albemarle League, and the
Virginia League The Virginia League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in Virginia and North Carolina from 1906 to 1928. It was classified as a "C" league from 1906 to 1919 and as a "B" league from 1920 to 1928. The most famous alumni to c ...
. The Albemarle League was well known for its baseball prominence throughout the area as collegiate players would grace locales such as
Elizabeth City Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and largest city of Pasquotank County. It is the cultural, economic and educ ...
,
Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, ne ...
,
Edenton Edenton is a town in, and the county seat of, Chowan County, North Carolina, United States, on Albemarle Sound. The population was 4,397 at the 2020 census. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has b ...
,
Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area *Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wind ...
and Williamston for a summer full of great baseball. Hicks Field was also the longtime spring training site for a number of Minor League teams during the 1940s, including
Binghamton Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the conflue ...
, New York and
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
, Pennsylvania. In 1995, Hicks Field was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. Players such as
Bob Feller Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...
and other Major League all-stars have set foot inside this historic stadium. In 1946 Hicks Field played host to arguably one of the best games of that era as an Albemarle League all-star team faced off against a Major League all-star team composed of players from the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
,
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, Washington Senators and
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
. The Albemarle team was defeated but for the 4,500 in attendance they were treated to some of the best players in all of baseball. In 1997 Hicks Field underwent extensive renovations, including a complete remodeling of the main grandstand behind home plate and the addition of two new grandstands, one down the first baseline and one down the third baseline. New bathrooms were built along with a manual wooden scoreboard that was placed above the fence in right field and a second deck was added to the left field fence to give Hicks a "
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
" feel. After the renovations were complete, Hicks Field had grown in capacity to seat 1,200 people and now gives off a nostalgic feeling that can rival any
major league baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
stadium. In 1998 the Edenton Steamers were formed in the new Coastal Plain League and Hicks Field became the Steamers home ballpark. Hicks Field continues to host the Steamers, Edenton-Holmes High School baseball, an
American Legion Post 40
contests, as well as various tournaments throughout the summer. Historic Hicks Field was home to the CPL All-Star game in 2001, when the North All-Stars defeated the South All-Stars 1-0, and was voted the No. 2 summer collegiate baseball venue in the nation by
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
(regarded as the definitive publication for the sport) in 2004. Historic Hicks Field is the smallest field in the CPL in both capacity and dimensions. It is 300 feet down the left field line, 336 feet to left-center, 350 feet to straightaway center field, 330 feet to right-center, and 298 feet along the right field line.


Early years and modern rebirth

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the Edenton Colonials called Hicks Field home. The Colonials played in three different leagues: the Albemarle, the Virginia, and finally the
Coastal Plain League (Class D) 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 oper ...
in 1952, folding after that season. In 1997 Pete Bock visited Edenton and during lunch he overheard talk of an old baseball field that was in disrepair but had great potential. Bock, who was commissioner of the newly formed
Coastal Plain League The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal League which operated in the area from 19 ...
, was actively looking for places within the Carolinas and Virginia to place new franchises. From that lunch conversation, the idea for the Edenton Steamers was born. On May 29, 1998 the Edenton franchise opened its inaugural season securing a 7-4 victory over Rocky Mount in 11 innings. In 1998 the Steamers played a 47-game schedule and finished 14-33, placing them 6th in the Coastal Plain League. The Steamers enjoyed its first winning record the second year of operations with a 27-23 mark in 1999. The 2000 and 2001 summer seasons were not as successful for the Steamers as their season records dropped back to 20-24 and 21-29, respectively. The 2002 campaign started more promisingly with the Steamers winning their first North Division championship in the first half of the season. Unfortunately the second half was plagued by injuries and the Steamers struggled in the latter stages, ending 9-15 and a 24-25 record for the season. The Edenton closer that summer,
Ryan Sadowski Ryan Keith Sadowski (born October 4, 1982) is a retired American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the Lotte Giants. He is currently ...
, would later go on to pitch in the Major Leagues with the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
in 2009 as the second Steamer alumnus to reach The Show. 2003 was a frustrating year for Steamer fans as they produced the worst win–loss record ever in Edenton history at 12-34, placing last in both halves of the season in the North Division.


Joel Tremblay-David Scoggin era (2004–2006)

The tide turned in 2004 with manager Joel Tremblay at the helm. A preview of what was in store came in the form of a 13-game winning streak to start the season, a feat that still stands as a league standard. The Steamers garnered both the first and second-half divisional titles en route to a 32-11-1 ledger and a then league-record .739 winning average. To cap off the "worst to first" turnaround, the Steamers also won the Petitt Cup Championship for the first time in franchise history, defeating arch-rival Outer Banks 13-2 in the title game. Edenton also boasted the individual ERA leader that summer in Daniel Gemma at 1.05. With a first league championship under its belt, the momentum continued in 2005 with the return of manager Joel Tremblay. Edenton won the North Division first and second halves again and finished with a record of 34-19 for the season, the most wins ever in the CPL for a single season at the time. Edenton secured the top seed in the Petitt Cup tournament and defended its title beating Florence in the championship game by a score of 9-2 under the direction of promoted assistant coach David Scoggin, who assumed managerial duties midseason following a collegiate promotion for Tremblay. Mid-summer signee and second-half closer Joe Smith would go on to become a third-round draft selection of the New York Mets in 2006. He was the first former Steamer to appear in the Majors when he debuted for the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
the following spring in 2007. Smith is currently part of the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
bullpen. The Steamers strived to make the 2006 season a
Coastal Plain League The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal League which operated in the area from 19 ...
benchmark with a third consecutive championship. David Scoggin returned to lead the team to a fifth straight divisional title winning the first half of the season in the North. The five consecutive half titles was a league record until 2013 when the Steamers secured a sixth straight division title to finish the summer, en route to seven in a row following the 2014 first half. Edenton battled Peninsula in the second half for a sixth in a row but finished a game behind the Pilots. With a 34-20 tally going into the league playoffs, Edenton's run at history came to an end and the team was ousted in the first round of the tournament. This staff produced yet another closer that later reached the big leagues when
Greg Holland Gregory Scott Holland (born November 20, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington N ...
appeared in 2010 for the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
, the Steamers third Major League alum, before becoming the Steamers' first Major League all-star in 2013; he repeated the feat in 2014 and 2017. Edenton's ace pitcher that summer,
Evan Scribner Evan Lee Scribner (born July 19, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, and Seattle Mariners. Professional career Arizona Diamondbacks Scr ...
, became the fourth alumnus to appear in the big leagues when he debuted for the San Diego Padres on April 26, 2011. Scribner has since appeared in the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners bullpens, respectively, and is now a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization.


Marty Smith-Jason Krug-Josh Scott era (2007–2010)

Edenton hired a new manager for the 2007 season named Marty Smith. With his guidance, Edenton repeated their first and second-half divisional titles. Edenton recorded the best half-season record to date in franchise history (23-5 in the second half) and won the North by six games over Peninsula, finishing with a record of 39-16. Unfortunately, Edenton was dismissed again in the first round, this time by the Martinsville Mustangs. The win total stood as the most in club history until 2011. The passing of Edenton's organizational godmother, Gayle Gieseke, in the preceding fall inspired the creation of the Gieseke Gold Award and its inaugural winner was Brian Conley. Conley became the first Steamer to win a CPL batting title (.372). Edenton also featured the league-leaders in on-base average (Conley, .472), stolen bases (Kevin Mattison, 30), and ERA (J.P. Primus, 1.22). Conley (Orioles) and Mattison (Marlins; later Brewers and Nationals) went on to become professional ballplayers; Mattison later debuted in the Majors in 2012 with Miami. Pitcher Bobby Lanigan would become the highest-drafted Steamer player ever when the Minnesota Twins selected him 92nd overall (3rd round) in 2008. 2008 saw the Steamers register another first-half North Division championship with Jason Krug as manager. The season-ending 35-20 record earned Edenton the second seed in the postseason Petitt Cup tournament. Following two consecutive first-round eliminations, Edenton advanced to the final four before bowing out in the semifinals. A Steamer hitter took home the league batting crown for the second summer in a row when Brett Nommensen fashioned a then franchise-record .377 figure; he also paced the circuit with a .462 on-base average. Closer Luke Demko led the CPL in appearances (27) and saves (15, a Steamer record) and was rewarded with the Gieseke Gold Award for that summer. Nommensen went on to be drafted and play in the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
minor league system. Edenton welcomed back Marty Smith as manager in 2009 following some of his record-setting success in 2007 but he encountered decidedly more adversity during his second tour. For the first time since 2003 the Steamers failed to win either division-half title or eclipse 30 wins. The 29-27 regular season slate did maintain the run of successive winning seasons and saw the Teal and Black enter the postseason as the seventh of eight seeds, only to lose in the first round once more for the third time in four years. A surprising number of player casualties to professional baseball, four in the June draft and one more as a free agent at the CPL All-Star game, provided the backdrop for a great effort of over-achievement. Starting Pitcher Todd Roth took home Gieseke Gold honors; Jake Magner slugged .540 with 12 home runs to establish then franchise records in both categories; and
Keith Couch Keith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Keith (surname) * Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949) * Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons i ...
(later of the
Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
system) issued only four bases on balls in 67.2 innings pitched. The 2010 Coastal Plain League campaign was a return to prestige of sorts in Edenton. Captaining the ship was Josh Scott, who had served as pitching coach in 2007 on Marty Smith's first staff. For the second straight summer however, Edenton did not bring home a North Division half-championship. With identical 18-10 first-half marks, the Wilson Tobs defeated the Steamers in the tiebreaker contest. A 32-24 final mark put Edenton in the sixth seed for the postseason and began a seemingly improbable run that ended in Forest City, taking the top-seeded Owls to a decisive game three at their stadium to decide the Petitt Cup champion. The magic ended there and the Steamers finished with great pride as league runner-up and an ongoing CPL-record seven winning seasons in a row. 2010 marked the first time in club history that a Steamer won either of the major individual seasonal awards when relief pitcher Coty Saranthus was named
Rawlings Rawlings may refer to: *Rawlings (company), a U.S. sports equipment company *Rawlings, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland *Rawlings (surname) Rawlings is an English-language surname. Notable people with the name in ...
Defensive Player of the Year, which is the de facto CPL Pitcher of the Year honor. Saranthus led the league, and set or tied Edenton franchise records in the first four categories, in ERA (0.68), WHIP (0.51), batting average against (.107), wins (7), and appearances (30). For the third time in four years, the CPL batting title went to a Steamer hitter when shortstop A.J. Rusbarsky ended the regular season at .345; he also led the league in hits (69), sacrifice bunts (19), and assists (180), the latter two are also both franchise records in Edenton. He capped this remarkable performance by winning the first Goodman Glove Award for defensive excellence in a Steamers uniform. It is named in honor of the late Livy Goodman, a leader for many years on the Steamers ownership board who also organized the Clambake events, an annual mid-winter fundraiser for the team. Gieseke Gold Award winner Brian Billigen led the league and set a Steamer record with five triples. His status as the top five-tool talent (bat, power, speed, defense, arm) to that point in franchise history was on display nightly and was later illuminated when he was named a 2010 CPL Top Ten Prospect by both
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
an
Perfect Game CrossChecker
Brian Blasik scored the most runs in the CPL (39) helped by his then club-record 15 doubles, while Mark Montgomery set the then all-time league best for strikeout ratio by a reliever (1.93 K/IP) when he fanned 54 in 28 innings. Montgomery was drafted by the New York Yankees the next year and raced through their minor league system, followed by a year (2017) in the Cardinals organization and now finds himself in the Detroit Tigers system.


Dirk Kinney-Stephen "Mo" Moritz era (2011–2012)

In 2011 the Steamers concluded its most successful regular season in modern history. That summer saw the Steamers break 13 franchise records, including setting six different Coastal Plain League marks, send six representatives to the All-Star festivities, clinch both first and second-half North Division titles, earn the top seed in the Petitt Cup Playoffs, and hold the ranking of No. 1 summer collegiate team in the nation for five straight weeks according t
Perfect Game CrossChecker
The Steamers set new franchise standards for wins, with 44, and an .800 winning percentage for the regular season. They slugged .399 and had an OPS of .787 to go along with 12 triples as a team. They set team marks in total bases with 756, stolen bases at 131, and held opposing hitters to their lowest batting average against ever at .210. To go along with the eight new franchise team records, the Steamers established six CPL marks during 2011. Those included consecutive winning seasons and playoff appearances, with their eighth in a row, and wins in a half with a 25-3 mark in the second half of the CPL season. They also set a new CPL record for on-base percentage as a team at .388, runs scored with 370, RBI with 322, and bases on balls with 280. The Steamers finished the 2011 campaign ranked seventh in the nation according t
Perfect Game CrossChecker
On the individual level, Joey Wendle had one of the most impressive seasons in franchise history. He set a new record for hits in a single season in the CPL with 81, along with establishing a franchise-best for assists by a second baseman with 158, and he tied the franchise mark for batting average in a season at .377. The lefty hitter also had a 21-game hitting streak and a 36-game on-base streak, as well as being named to the 2011 CPL National All-Star team. Wendle was the 2011 recipient of the Gieseke Gold Award and concluded his summer honors by being named
Perfect Game CrossChecker
Summer All-American at second base and a 2011 CPL Top Ten Prospect b
Baseball America
Ryan Brenner set the franchise mark for stolen bases in a season, with 35, and putouts by an outfielder with 124. Brenner was awarded the second annual Goodman Glove Award. Coach Kinney capped his season off by being named the 2011 CPL Coach of the Year after leading his Steamers to a 49-14 overall mark and making a run to the Petitt Cup Championship series. The Edenton Steamers celebrated their 15th year as members of the Coastal Plain League with another outstanding season in 2012. Piggybacking on the success from the previous summer, Steve "Mo" Moritz, who served as hitting coach in 2011 under Dirk Kinney, was hired on to lead the charge in 2012. On the way to finishing as the top seed for the CPL Petitt Cup Playoffs with a 36-17 record, the Steamers tied or broke 10 franchise marks, received the CPL Rawlings Hitter of the Week selection three times, sent a league-high six players to the All-Star festivities and clinched both first and second-half East Division titles (The CPL realigned its divisions in the offseason from 2011 to 2012 and Edenton was moved to the East Division. The new alignment dropped the North and South divisions in favor of an East-West format with seven teams in each division). By clinching the two half-division titles in 2012, Edenton had then won four half-division titles in a row dating back to 2011 and had 13 in franchise history. Edenton also spent the entire summer ranked in the top 30 in the nation of summer-collegiate teams according to Perfect Game CrossChecker and four straight weeks in the top ten before settling in at 15th in the final poll. The Steamers set new team standards in home runs with 44, slugging average at .423 and OPS at .791; their 100 doubles tied the franchise mark from 2010 and they increased their CPL-leading streak to nine straight years with a winning record and a playoff appearance. Edenton also wrapped up as the league leader in several categories, including batting average (.280), runs (302), RBIs (266), and home runs (44). Individually, Michael Camporeale led the offensive charge setting new team marks in slugging (.623) and doubles (19). He finished as the league leader in doubles, RBIs (42), total bases (101) and tied for the lead in home runs with nine en route to winning Coastal Plain League Hitter of the Year. He was an All-Star selection, as well as a CPL Rawlings Hitter of the Week for Edenton. Koby Kraemer set a new franchise OPS mark (1.050) while finishing second in the league with a .371 batting average and receiving All-Star recognition. Madison Beaird became the franchise-record holder for assists by an outfielder, throwing out 11 men on the base paths and was the 2012 recipient of the Goodman Glove Award. Jordan Egan, a returner from the 2011 squad, tied the single-season team record for saves with 15 and became just the second two-time All-Star in Steamer history when he was selected that season. Egan was honored as the 2012 Gieseke Gold Award winner. Jason Kanzler ended his summer ranked in the top five in the league in runs (38), triples (4), home runs (8), total bases (95) and stolen bases (21). He was a CPL Rawlings Hitter of the Week and an All-Star. Wes Meadows logged substantial time behind the plate, as well as in the infield for the Steamers down the stretch, and earned CPL Rawlings Hitter of the Week honors, as well as the inaugural Katy Ebersole Heart and Soul Award, given to the Steamer player who best exemplifies the "heart and soul" of the team. Head coach Steve Moritz made it two in a row for Edenton skippers when he garnered CPL Coach of the Year honors.


Bryan Hill era (2013–2016)

In 2013 Edenton wrapped up another successful campaign on the diamond. Their 16th season in the CPL saw the Steamers complete their 10th consecutive campaign with a winning record and a playoff appearance, a league record. Along the way Edenton finished 40-11 overall, clinched both first and second-half East Division titles and entered the Petitt Cup Playoffs as the top overall seed for the third consecutive year. The two half-division titles gave Edenton six straight, also a league mark, and 15 in franchise history. Four Clams were selected as the Rawlings Player of the Week and a league-high eight Steamers received All-Star nods. Edenton once again spent the entire summer in the top-five of the summer-collegiate rankings by Perfect Game Crosschecker, peaking at number three overall and finishing up the summer ranked sixth in the nation, the highest final designation in franchise history. The record books continued to be rewritten by the Teal and Black in 2013 as the Steamers tied or broke 14 franchise records both on the individual level as well as the team level. Along with their 10th straight winning season, playoff appearance and six straight half-division titles, Edenton set a new league mark with a .975 fielding average and tied their team WHIP mark at 1.10. The Clams as a team finished in the top five in the league in batting average (.261), slugging average (.399), OBP (.357), runs (286), hits (431), RBIs (258), doubles (81), triples (9), home runs (43), total bases (659), walks (207) and sacrifice flies (16). On the individual level, the Steamers' Nick Miller earned an All-Star nod and was a CPL Rawlings Pitcher of the Week selection, as well as setting a new team standard for ERA by a starting pitcher at 1.02 and fielding average for a first baseman at a perfect 1.000. Miller was awarded the Gieseke Gold Award at season's end as the most outstanding player and person in 2013. Third baseman Josh Hampton led the league in RBIs (42), tied for first with four triples, second in home runs (9) and set a new Steamer record with 123 assists at third base. Hampton was the CPL Rawlings Hitter of the Week for week one of the season and brought home an All-Star selection, as well as being honored with the Goodman Glove Award. Nick Thompson paced the league in runs (42) and his 41 free passes set a new Steamer season mark. Thompson led the league in slugging (.594), second in OBP (.471) and, along with the walks, set a new franchise record with a 1.065 OPS, which also led the CPL. The infielder/outfielder earned an All-star selection and the Ebersole Heart and Soul Award at summer's end, given to the person who most exhibits the "heart and soul" of the club throughout the summer. Trent Miller led the club and finished second in the league with a .347 batting average, his .540 slugging average and seven home runs were good for fifth in the CPL and he was selected to the All-Star squad, as well as earning a CPL Rawlings Hitter of the Week award. Adam Kirsch led the league and set a new Steamer standard with 22 doubles, was selected as an All-Star and was the winner of the CPL All-Star hitting challenge, the first Steamer ever to do so. Jake McCoy, the hard-throwing closer, tied the Steamers franchise record with seven wins and led all CPL closers with 11 saves during the summer. His work on the mound netted him a 2013 All-Star selection. Jacob Reese excelled defensively for the Teal and Black, tying the franchise mark for fielding average at the position at .995 and earning an All-Star nod. Right-handed pitcher Jeremy Bales proved to be one of the most reliable Steamer relief pitchers; he logged 19.1 innings on the mound and allowed just one earned run, good for a 0.47 ERA, tying a Steamer mark. Steamers head Coach Bryan Hill became the third Steamer skipper in a row and fourth overall to bring home the CPL Coach of the Year award at season's end. In 2014 the Edenton Steamers wrapped up their 17th season as members of the Coastal Plain League and their 11th straight campaign with a winning record and a playoff appearance, a CPL record. Along the way in 2014, Edenton also clinched its seventh consecutive division-half title when they wrapped up the first-half East Division championship, also a league record. They broke or tied six franchise records, including tying the team mark for saves with 20 (2005, 2011), had three players earn 919 Marketing Player of the Week honors, and five players along with head coach Bryan Hill named to the East All-Star team. The Steamers also celebrated 19 players with ties to the organization that entered professional baseball in 2014, the most ever from Edenton in a single pro-entry class. On an individual level – Josh Roeder, Gunnar Kines, Ryan Raslowsky, Orlando Olivera, Evan Rogers and Jake Placzek all had sustained success for Edenton in 2014. Roeder, a junior closer from the University of Nebraska, was lights out for the Steamers in 2014. He made 21 appearances, recording 14 saves and finishing with a 1.71 ERA. In 21 innings on the mound he allowed just 17 hits and four earned runs while striking out 38 and holding opposing hitters to a .224 batting average. Roeder was named the 919 Marketing Pitcher of the Week for week four of action, as well as a midseason and first-team postseason All-Star. At summer's end he was ranked as the number-two prospect in the CPL by Baseball America and number three by Perfect Game CrossChecker. He was drafted into the New York Yankees organization in 2015 and remains a member of their minor-league system. Kines excelled for the Steamers on the mound that summer, wrapping up his season with a 6-2 mark and logging 50.0 innings of work. The junior from the University of Mount Olive was the league leader in ERA at 1.26 and had 56 strikeouts, which was fourth in the circuit, along with only allowing 34 hits and seven earned runs all summer, good for a .192 batting average against. He was named a midseason All-Star and a first-team postseason All-Star for Edenton, as well as a first-team Summer All-American by Perfect Game CrossChecker. He was drafted the next year, 2015, by the Florida Marlins and has since pitched in the New York Mets system, as well as the independent Frontier League. A junior infielder from California State University-Northridge, Raslowsky finished as the team leader with a .369 batting average in 37 games for the Teal and Black. He ended tied with Olivera for tops on the team with 55 hits and added five doubles and two triples for a .430 slugging average. He drove in 21, scored 26 times and notched 64 total bases along with 12 bases on balls and struck out just 17 times in 149 at-bats. He stole 24 bases in 26 attempts and boasted a .435 on-base average. Raslowsky earned the 919 Marketing Hitter of the Week award for week six of action and was also named a midseason and first-team postseason All-Star. "Raz," as he was affectionately known, was named Edenton's Gieseke Gold Award winner for 2014, which recognizes the player who contributes the most on and off the field each summer. Olivera, a junior outfielder and first baseman from Missouri Baptist University, finished second on the Steamers with a .325 batting average and tied for first on the team having played in 45 games. He scored 25 runs and finished tied for first in hits (55) and home runs (six) while adding four doubles, 30 RBIs, a .396 on-base average and a team-leading 77 total bases and .456 slugging average. He was selected to participate in the annual All-Star Home Run Derby contest, named a midseason All-Star and a second-team postseason All-Star for Edenton. He was drafted the next year in 2015 by the St. Louis Cardinals. A sophomore infielder, Rogers etched his name in Edenton's franchise record book by setting the fielding average standard for a shortstop throughout the summer. In 172 chances he committed only 7 errors, good for a .956 fielding average. Along with his slick fielding he hit .276 in 45 games for Edenton, he led the team with 31 runs, was second on the team with 43 hits, added seven doubles, a home run and his 33 walks were good for second behind only Placzek. He also posted a .408 on-base average, swiped 17 bases in 21 attempts and was awarded with a midseason All-Star nod. Rogers took home Goodman Glove Award honors, which recognizes the most valuable defensive player each summer in an Edenton uniform. A sophomore infielder from the University of Nebraska, Placzek hit .211 in 35 games for the Steamers this summer and set a new franchise record by drawing 47 walks, which also led the league. He scored 27 runs, added five doubles and a home run, knocking in 15; he went 12 for 13 in stolen bases and finished second in the league with a .448 on-base figure. The third annual Katy Ebersole Heart & Soul Award went to right-handed starter Manny Arciniega out of Peru State College. Arciniega was the only Steamer to start and end the campaign in the Edenton rotation, pitching impressively along the way. Overall, he made 10 appearances, eight starts and paced the staff with 54.0 innings pitched, finishing with a 5-2 ledger, 3.00 ERA, .96 WHIP and .204 opponent batting average with 45 strikeouts to only 12 walks. Arciniega has gone on to a still-active career pitching at the independent-league level, currently with the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League. Reigning CPL Coach of the Year Bryan Hill navigated the Steamers to a 21-7 first-half record and a seventh straight East Division title. Hill was also named the head coach of the East All-Star squad for the second consecutive year, as well as the debut CPL Select squad where Kines, Olivera and Raslowsky joined him against Team USA in a scouting-exhibition contest. Hill guided the Clams to a 36-16 final record, finishing as the number-two seed in the East heading into the Petitt Cup playoffs.


Championships

* 2002 North Division 1st Half Champions * 2004 North Division 1st and 2nd Half Champions * 2004 Coastal Plain League Champions * 2005 North Division 1st and 2nd Half Champions * 2005 Coastal Plain League Champions * 2006 North Division 1st Half Champions * 2007 North Division 1st and 2nd Half Champions * 2008 North Division 1st Half Champions * 2010 Coastal Plain League runner-up * 2011 North Division 1st and 2nd Half Champions * 2011 Coastal Plain League runner-up * 2012 East Division 1st and 2nd Half Champions * 2013 East Division 1st and 2nd Half Champions * 2014 East Division 1st Half Champions * 2015 East Division 1st and 2nd Half Champions * 2015 Coastal Plain League Champions


Alumni (current professional players)

Major League Alumni (all-time): * Joe Smith, pitcher 2006 3rd Rd. New York Mets (2006–2008), Cleveland Indians (2009–2013), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2014–2016), Chicago Cubs (2016), Toronto Blue Jays (2017), Houston Astros (2018-present) *
Ryan Sadowski Ryan Keith Sadowski (born October 4, 1982) is a retired American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the Lotte Giants. He is currently ...
, pitcher 2003 12th Rd. San Francisco Giants (2009) *
Greg Holland Gregory Scott Holland (born November 20, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington N ...
, pitcher 2007 10th Rd. Kansas City Royals (2010–present), Colorado Rockies (2017) *
Evan Scribner Evan Lee Scribner (born July 19, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, and Seattle Mariners. Professional career Arizona Diamondbacks Scr ...
, pitcher 2007 28th Rd. Arizona Diamondbacks; San Diego Padres (2011), Oakland Athletics (2012–2015), Seattle Mariners (2016–present), Tampa Bay Rays (2018-present) *
Kevin Mattison Kevin Mattison (born September 20, 1985) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins. Mattison attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where he played coll ...
, outfielder 2008 28th Rd. Florida Marlins; Miami Marlins (2012) *
Justin Freeman Justin Michael Freeman (born October 22, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds. Professional career Freeman was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 32nd ...
, pitcher 2008 32nd Rd. Cincinnati Reds (2013) *
Vidal Nuño Vidal Vicente Nuño ee-dahl' nooh'-nio(born July 26, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamond ...
, pitcher 2009 48th Rd. Cleveland Indians; New York Yankees (2013–2014), Arizona Diamondbacks (2014–2015), Seattle Mariners (2015–2016), Los Angeles Dodgers (2017), Baltimore Orioles (2017), Tampa Bay Rays (2018-present) * Billy Burns, outfielder 2011 32nd Rd. Washington Nationals; Oakland Athletics (2014–2016), Kansas City Royals (2016-present) *
Chris Bassitt Christopher M. Bassitt (born February 22, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2014 and played for the Oakland Athletics ...
, pitcher 2011 16th Rd. Chicago White Sox (2014); Oakland Athletics (2015–present) * Ken Roberts, pitcher 2010 25th Rd. Colorado Rockies (2015), Philadelphia Phillies (2015) *
Joey Wendle Joseph Patrick Wendle (born April 26, 1990) is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Oakland Athletics from 2016 to 2017 and for the Tampa Bay Rays f ...
, infielder 2012 6th Rd. Cleveland Indians; Oakland Athletics (2016-present), Tampa Bay Rays (2018-2021), Miami Marlins (2022-present) *
Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Rep ...
, pitcher 2013 16th Rd. Kansas City Royals (2016-present) *
Troy Scribner Troy Alex Scribner (born July 2, 1991) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks. Career Amateur Scribner attended Sacred Heart University in ...
, pitcher 2013 post-draft free agent. Houston Astros; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2017-present) Minor League Alumni (current): * Mark Montgomery, pitcher 2011 11th Rd. New York Yankees; currently in the Detroit Tigers system * Wigberto Nevarez, catcher 2014 20th Rd. Atlanta Braves *
Josh Fuentes Joshua Luis Fuentes (born February 19, 1993) is an American professional baseball first baseman in the Atlanta Braves organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies. He made his MLB debut in 2019. Amateur c ...
, infielder 2014 post-draft free agent Colorado Rockies * Josh Roeder, pitcher 2015 21st Rd. New York Yankees * Adam Bray, pitcher 2015 33rd Rd. Los Angeles Dodgers * Jeremy Walker, pitcher 2016 5th Rd. Atlanta Braves * Matt Festa, pitcher 2016 7th Rd. Seattle Mariners * Michael Messier, pitcher 2016 15th Rd. Kansas City Royals *Devan Watts, pitcher 2016 17th Rd. Atlanta Braves * Mick Fennell, outfielder 2016 22nd Rd. St. Louis Cardinals * Chad Sedio, infielder 2016 27th Rd. Detroit Tigers * David Bednar, pitcher 2016 35th Rd. San Diego Padres * Chance Shepard, catcher 2016 post-draft free agent Washington Nationals * Brandon Sandoval, outfielder 2017 27th Rd. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim *
Randy Dobnak Randy Travis William Dobnak (born January 17, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization. Listed at and , he throws and bats right-handed. Career Dobnak attended South Park High School in South Park ...
, pitcher 2017 independent-league free agent. Minnesota Twins *
Jake Cousins Jake Owen Cousins (born July 14, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 20th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. He has ...
, pitcher 2017 20th Rd. Washington Nationals * John Russell, pitcher 2017 16th Rd. San Francisco Giants * Zach Prendergast, pitcher 2017 independent-league free agent. St. Louis Cardinals * Ryan Askew, pitcher 2017 29th Rd. Tampa Bay Rays * Trey Hair, infielder 2017 33rd Rd. Tampa Bay Rays * Zack Jones, catcher 2017 independent-league free agent. Arizona Diamondbacks


External links


Official SiteTidewater Summer League


References

{{North Carolina Sports Coastal Plain League Baseball teams established in 1998 1998 establishments in North Carolina Amateur baseball teams in North Carolina Chowan County, North Carolina