Edenton Steamers
| Edenton Steamers | |
 | |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Home Field | Historic Hicks Field |
| Based in | Edenton, North Carolina |
| Colors | Teal, Black and White |
| League | Coastal Plain League |
| League Titles | Petitt Cup Champions - 2004, 2005 |
| Owner | Town of Edenton |
| General Manager | TBD |
| Head Coach | Bryan Hill (2013-2014) |
The Edenton Steamers are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Edenton, North Carolina, and one of fourteen teams that compete from May-August in the Coastal Plain League. 2013 was the Steamers 16th year as a member of the CPL and they hold 11 North Division titles and four East Division titles, two Petitt Cup Championships, and are currently on a ten-year streak (2004-2013) of posting a winning record and making a playoff appearance, a league record.
Steamers players are recruited from colleges around the United States. The team's nickname and logo reflects steamed clams.
CPL and the Steamers
The Edenton Steamers began play in the Coastal Plain League (CPL) in 1998, the league’s sophomore season and are members of the CPL’s East Division along with the Fayetteville Swampdogs, Morehead City Marlins, Peninsula Pilots, Petersburg Generals, Wilmington Sharks and Wilson Tobs. The members of the West Division are the Asheboro Copperheads, Columbia Blowfish, Florence Red Wolves, Forest City Owls, Gastonia Grizzlies, Martinsville Mustangs and High Point-Thomasville HiToms. The current CPL was created in 1997 by Pete Bock and was originally six teams, all located in North Carolina. Now in 2013 the league has grown to 14 teams located in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL plays a 56-game schedule with 28 home games and at season's end a three-round, best-of-three playoff to decide a Petitt Cup Champion.
Steamers history
Historic Hicks Field
The Edenton Steamers call Historic Hicks Field home, located adjacent to John A. Holmes High School on the corner of East Freemason and Woodward streets in Edenton, NC and was built as a Work Projects Administration (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 Albemarle League was well known for its baseball prominence throughout the area as collegiate players would grace locales such as Elizabeth City, Hertford, Edenton, Windsor 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, NY and Reading, PA. In 1995, Hicks Field was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Players such as Bob Feller and other Major League all-stars have stepped 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, New York Yankees, Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox. 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" 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 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, and 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 #2 summer collegiate baseball venue in the nation by Baseball America (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 on 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) 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, 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 29th, 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 for 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, would later go on to pitch in the Major Leagues with the San Francisco Giants 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-record .739 winning average; it now ranks sixth all-time for a single season. 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 mid-season 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 following spring in 2007. Smith is currently part of the Cleveland Indians bullpen.
The Steamers strived to make the 2006 season a Coastal Plain League 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. 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 appeared in 2010 for the Kansas City Royals, the Steamers third Major League alum, before becoming the Steamers' first Major League all-star in 2013. Edenton's ace pitcher that summer, Evan Scribner, 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 bullpen in 2012 and 2013.
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 heart and soul, 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) went on to become professional minor league 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 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 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 franchise records in both categories; and Keith Couch (now in the Red Sox 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 postseason awards when relief pitcher Coty Saranthus was named Rawlings 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) in franchise history was on display daily and later illuminated when he was named a 2010 CPL Top Ten Prospect by both Baseball America and 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 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 has raced through their minor league system, now on the cusp of appearing in their Major League bullpen in 2014.
Dirk Kinney-Stephen "Mo" Moritz-Bryan Hill era (2011-present)
In 2011 the Steamers concluded its most successful regular season in its 14-year 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 #1 summer collegiate team in the nation for five straight weeks according to Perfect Game CrossChecker. The Steamers set new franchise standards for wins, with 44, and a .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 include 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 to 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 a Perfect Game CrossChecker Summer All-American at second base and a 2011 CPL Top Ten Prospect by 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 off-season 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.
In 2013 Edenton wrapped up another successful campaign on the diamond. Their 16th season in the CPL saw the Steamers complete their tenth consecutive season 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 tenth straight winning season, playoff appearance and six straight half-division titles, Edenton set a new league mark finishing 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.
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
Alumni (current professional players)
Major League Alumni:
- Joe Smith, pitcher 2006 3rd Rd. NY Mets (2006-2008) Cleveland Indians (2009-present)
- Ryan Sadowski, pitcher 2003 12th Rd. San Francisco Giants (2009)
- Greg Holland, pitcher 2007 10th Rd. Kansas City Royals (2010-present)
- Evan Scribner, pitcher 2007 28th Rd. Arizona Diamondbacks; San Diego Padres (2011) Oakland Athletics (2012-present)
- Kevin Mattison, outfielder 2008 28th Rd. Florida Marlins; Miami Marlins (2012)
- Justin Freeman, pitcher 2008 32nd Rd. Cincinnati Reds (2013)
- Vidal Nuño, pitcher 2009 48th Rd. Cleveland Indians; now in the New York Yankees system (Yankees 2013)
Minor League Alumni:
- Skyler Stromsmoe, pitcher 2007 pre-draft free agent San Francisco Giants
- Bobby Lanigan, pitcher 2008 3rd Rd. Minnesota Twins; now in the Boston Red Sox system
- Murphy Smith, pitcher 2009 13th Rd. Oakland Athletics
- Coty Woods, pitcher 2009 33rd Rd. Colorado Rockies; now in the Texas Rangers system
- Kenneth Roberts, pitcher 2010 25th Rd. Colorado Rockies
- Keith Couch, pitcher 2010 13th Rd. Boston Red Sox
- Mark Montgomery, pitcher 2011 11th Rd. New York Yankees
- Chris Bassitt, pitcher 2011 16th Rd. Chicago White Sox
- Billy Burns, outfielder 2011 32nd Rd. Washington Nationals
- Joey Wendle, infielder 2012 6th Rd. Cleveland Indians
- Adam Giacalone, infielder 2012 16th Rd. Milwaukee Brewers
- Ryan Dineen, infielder 2012 25th Rd. Houston Astros
- Tim Saunders, infielder 2012 32nd Rd. Chicago Cubs
- Brian Blasik, infielder 2012 post-draft free agent Houston Astros
- John Polonius, infielder 2012 post-draft free agent San Francisco Giants
- Kevin McCarthy, pitcher 2013 16th Rd. Kansas City Royals
- Jason Kanzler, outfielder 2013 20th Rd. Minnesota Twins
- Troy Scribner, pitcher 2013 post-draft free agent Houston Astros
- Koby Kraemer, infielder 2013 post-draft free agent Toronto Blue Jays
Independent League Alumni:
- Ryan Khoury, infielder Wichita Wingnuts / American Association
- Ben Hewett, catcher Joliet Slammers / Frontier League
- Joe Zeller, pitcher Frontier Greys / Frontier League
- Gerard Hall, infielder Schaumburg Boomers / Frontier League
- Adam De La Garza, infielder Amarillo Sox / American Association
- Peter Barrows, outfielder Sioux City Explorers / American Association
- Charlie McCready, pitcher Santa Fe Fuego / Pecos League
- Ethan Cole, pitcher Kansas City T-Bones / American Association
- Vinnie Mejia, infielder Lake Erie Crushers / Frontier League
External links
References
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