DURHAM, N.C. – The Coastal Plain League announced this afternoon that the Macon Bacon are the winners of the 2026 CPL Stream of the Year.

“We are deeply honored to receive the Stream of the Year Award,” said Macon Bacon Managing Partner and President Brandon Raphael. “Going from a one-camera broadcast to four cameras this year was a big step forward for our organization. Aaron, Riley and their team did an exceptional job building the broadcast from the ground up and creating a game-changing product for our fans and the league. We couldn’t be prouder of what they accomplished this season.”

In all, the production team consisted of seven people. Aaron Harrison served as the broadcast producer, building the shows outline before each game, and directed cameras and all other moving parts throughout each night. The person on the mic was Riley Kelton, who invited fans into Luther Williams Stadium each home game and did loads of research to gather stats, make recaps and posts for social media and call games from the road on the radio. Guest color commentators Griffin Harper and Blane Baillargeon also lent a hand in the call of games. Belle Hunsinger worked on the various graphics for each contest, while Triana Graham and William Campisi operated the manned cameras on the first base side and behind home plate respectively.

“On behalf of our wonderful production team, I’m honored to received this award,” commented Harrison. “It was a team effort and we couldn’t have done it without everyonn=e doing their part and the organization that surrounded us. From the moment I arrived at Luther Williams Field we received tons of support, both financially and emotionally. Without that support we couldn’t have built this broadcast from the floor to the top of the pack! Thank you to everyone who helped us along this journey!”

Macon home games started with warm introductions and even stadium shots that resembled what fans are used to seeing on their televisions. They outlined the lineups, defensive looks, and other graphics that elevated the appearance. They even created a way to run their own ticker at the bottom of the screen that showed scores from across the league. Tack on the four different angles with the two manually operated cameras, and fans were able to easily track the action play after play. In fact, in its home game against Wilmington on July 17, a spectacular grab by Sharks centerfielder Jack Whalen was caught on film and came in at number 7 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays.

“It is such an honor to win this award among all the talented broadcast crews across the league,” said Kelton. From day one, this was our goal and to see our product get better each night was a testament to the hard work our entire team put in. I am extremely grateful to have been a part of this special team and taking home this award is the cherry on top of what was a great summer in Macon. Thank you Bacon Nation and everyone who voted for us to win this award!”

And vote they did. The Bacon received nearly 20% of the fan vote for best stream in the league, with many long-time fans taking a moment to not only vote, but to share their enthusiasm with the changes.

“Definitely was improved from a year ago,” commented one fan. “They had a lot of different camera angles as well as unique graphics and other components like the scores from other games in the league at the bottom of the screen that made it more professional and attractive for fans.”

About Coastal Plain League:
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier and most innovative summer collegiate baseball league. The CPL is currently comprised of 15 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,800 alumni drafted, and 215 alums make their Major League debut. Most notable alumni include Justin Verlander, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, Chris Taylor, Jake Cave, Alec Bohm, Chas McCormick and NFL Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @CPLBaseball.

About Capitol Broadcasting Company:
Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a diversified communications company which owns and/or operates WRAL-TV, WRAZ-TV, WRAL-FM, WRAL-HD2, WNGT-CD, WCMC-FM, WCMC-HD1, WDNC-AM, WCMC-HD2, WCMC-HD3, WCMC-HD4, Microspace, and WRAL Digital in Raleigh, NC; WILM-TV and WILT-LD in Wilmington, NC; The Durham Bulls Baseball Club, Bull City Hospitality, and Coastal Plain League in Durham, NC; The Holly Springs Salamanders in Holly Springs, NC; The Zebulon Devil Dogz in Zebulon, NC; the American Underground startup hub in Durham, NC; and real estate interests including the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham, NC; Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, NC; MoJud Lofts in Greensboro, NC; and The Thread in Rock Hill, SC.