BY KURT DUSTERBERG
If you drive along NC Hwy 55 Bypass in Holly Springs on a summer evening, you might catch a familiar slice of Americana. On the east side of the highway, stadium lights splash across Ting Park, a modern baseball venue where the seats are often brimming with fans.
At first glance, the view gives off a minor league baseball vibe. But the park is home to the Holly Springs Salamanders, a team of college players from the Coastal Plain league. The stadium is among the newer venues in the 15-team league, which has teams in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia.
“For us, we try to treat it as close to a minor league game as possible, whether it’s the Durham Bulls or you’re going to Zebulon to see the Mudcats,” says Salamanders general manager Michael Villafana. “We try to do everything they do, if not better.”
For the fans, that means contests and giveaways in-between innings, along with theme nights and promotions. “It’s all about the entertainment—the on-field promotions,” Villafana says. “We will mix them up every single night. You can come to all 32 games, and every night you’re going to get a different show. That’s important to us.”
The experience has a local flavor, too. Many of the Salamanders either grew up in the Triangle or currently play for area universities. Daniel Stephens is enjoying his second summer with Holly Springs. The third baseman played at Rolesville High School before attending Crossroads Flex High School in Cary and playing for Pro5 Baseball Academy, which is based out of Ting Park.
“I live at home, 40 minutes away in the Wake Forest area, and I come here on game days around 1 p.m.,” says Stephens, who has played at Georgia Gwinnett College and plans to play at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke next year. “It’s about the memories you make here with your team, the bond. Being in the moment. Coach was telling us yesterday, your baseball career compared to your whole life is just a smidge of your time.” Jake Stanley played at Heritage High School before finishing at Crossroads Flex and Pro5. After a freshman redshirt season at George Mason University, a Division I school, he is happy to play more baseball on his home turf. “It definitely makes it easier being close to home,” Stanley says.
“I also have a lot of friends in the Holly Springs and Apex area. You can invite them to a baseball game and they can be part of this atmosphere. It’s just awesome.” The local flavor is part of what makes the experience work for the Salamanders.
“Any time we can have more local talent, it’s a positive for us,” Villafana says. “Not only are they familiar, but it’s also good for family and friends to come and see them play throughout the summer. The players know that the expectation is for them to be as well-connected to our fans as they are to their own teammates.”
Stephens enjoys the atmosphere of the 1,800-seat stadium, where the spectators can interact with the players—even during the games sometimes. “You see a bunch of families out here with kids,” he says. “You sign a bunch of autographs. These kids, it means the world to them to watch you play. They look up to you.”
There are dozens of collegiate summer leagues spread across the country, often referred to as “wood-bat” leagues. Because the players are accustomed to using composite bats in college, the chance to play with wood bats is an early audition for professional baseball—and that’s the goal for most of the players.
“It’s definitely a big dream for me, but the process has always been the fun part,” says Stanley, who is 19 years old. “I get to go out there and work every day. I try not to think about what’s ahead of me as much.” For Stephens, who is 23, this is his fourth summer in a wood-bat league.
“I would love to get signed by an MLB ballclub,” he says. “Realistically, I won’t be drafted because I’m too old. I would have to put a great season together. But there’s no guarantee how long you get to play. It’s a blessing being here, day in and day out, just meeting a lot of fans. It’s a crazy atmosphere.”
For a decade now, the Salamanders have been part of the Holly Springs summer experience—thanks in part to a home that has some big-league appeal.
“This stadium is definitely one of the best in the league,” Villafana says. “It’s a full turf field, so it’s always in pristine condition. But also the seating bowl has a lot of shade for our fans in the Carolina heat during the summer. There’s a lot of concourse space, so we bring in a lot of vendors, whether it’s food or merchandise. We try to provide the best experience possible.”
