2021:

For the 2021 season, the Coastal Plain League has partnered with A Plus Officials, LLC., for its umpiring needs for all league games. Fans will notice a move from the 2-person crew that the CPL has had in place over the previous 12+ years to a 3-person crew. Serving as the Umpire Supervisor will be Troy Fullwood. Fullwood brings 13 years of field experience as a collegiate, minor league and major league umpire, and has served multiple years as a conference coordinator for the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big South Conference and Conference USA.

Fullwood’s NCAA postseason experience included five conference tournaments, five NCAA Regionals, two NCAA Super Regionals and the 2017 College World Series, where he finished his on-field career as the home plate umpire in the championship game. Additionally, Fullwood served as a Minor League umpire for 11 seasons and spent parts of four seasons at the Major League level.

2008-2019 Seasons:

Minor League Baseball Umpire Development, formerly known as Professional Baseball Umpire Corp (PBUC), a Minor League Baseball wholly owned subsidiary, first entered into a working agreement to provide its reserve umpires to the Coastal Plain League beginning in 2008. The agreement allows reserve list umpires to continue to develop their skills in a competitive environment, while waiting for the call from MiLB Umpire Development to work Minor League Baseball games. Following the 2018 CPL season, the Coastal Plain League and MiLB Umpire Development extended its agreement for three years.

“Minor League Baseball is extremely excited about extending our partnership with the Coastal Plain League once again,” said Minor League Umpire Development Director Dusty Dellinger. “We could not have a better environment for our future professional umpires to train and gain such valuable experience.

“Our relationship with the Coastal Plain League has been extremely valuable to our organization in the sense that we can have our next available professional umpires working in an environment in the CPL that is very comparable to what they will face in pro ball. The experience the CPL provides our umpires can’t be matched and we hope that our relationship continues for years to come.”

Since 2008, 144 PBUC reserve umpires have gotten their start in the Coastal Plain League, with an impressive 106 of them moving on since to work games in Minor League Baseball. Furthermore, Nic Lentz became the first former CPL umpire to make it to the Major Leagues on April 20, 2016. Lentz served as the first base umpire during the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins game along side home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt, second base Umpire Scott Barry, and third base umpire Tripp Gibson. Nearly a month later, the CPL witnessed another umpire alum – Roberto Ortiz – make his Major League debut as well. Ortiz, debuted during the Marlins-Nationals game on May 14 in Washington, DC, joining Larry Vanover’s crew for two games of the MIA-WAS doubleheader. He served as the first base umpire alongside HP Umpire David Rackley, 2B Umpire Alfonso Marquez, and 3B Umpire Chris Guccione for Game 1; and as the third base umpire alongside HP Umpire Larry Vanover, 1B Umpire Marquez, and 2B Umpire Guccione for Game 2.

“We have enjoyed working with Dusty and his staff at Minor League Baseball Umpire Development, as well as the numerous reserve umpires that have come through the Coastal Plain League during our partnership,” said CPL COO/Commissioner Justin Sellers. “We feel that our quality of play and overall atmosphere has gone a long way in helping the development of future Minor and Major League Baseball umpires. The number of alumni that have gone on from the CPL into umpiring in professional baseball is strong proof that our relationship has been beneficial to both parties.”

MiLB Umpire Development is responsible for the training, evaluation and recommendation for promotion, retention or release of all umpires in the Minor League Baseball system throughout the United States and Canada.

Below is the listing of MiLB Umpire Development reserve umpires that have come through the Coastal Plain League on their way to professional baseball, and their current status

* Denotes umpire who was called to work in Minor League Baseball but later retired.

1997-2007 Seasons:

The Coastal Plain League utilized area collegiate umpires from 1997 through the 2007 season. Majority of the umpires had years of experience in calling NCAA Division I games, especially in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Additionally, many of these collegiate umpires had worked professionally before, calling games throughout the ranks of Minor League Baseball. Umpire Supervisor Ron Sebastian oversaw the league’s scheduling of umpires during that time period.