On a day in which he was originally supposed to play a twin bill with Triple-A Nashville, Coastal Plain League alum and former Fayetteville SwampDogs outfielder Joey Wiemer found himself in Chicago about to make his Major League debut for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Ranked the third-best prospect in the Brewers organization by MLB.com to start the season, Wiemer started Saturday’s game in centerfield and immediately showed he belonged. He sent the first pitch he saw down the right-field line and reached second standing up for a one-out double. He would finish 1-for-2 on the afternoon.

A fourth-round draft pick by the Brew Crew in 2020, Wiemer spent his first season in 2021 between Single-A and High-A. He tallied 117 hits with 27 dingers to go with a .295 average that year, earning a promotion to Double-A Biloxi to start 2022. There, he swung .243 through 84 games before shipping up to Nashville. While with the Sounds, Wiemer remained a consistent hitter, slashing .287/.368/.520.

Wiemer was a consistent face in the lineup for the SwampDogs during the 2018 summer, playing in 41 games. He hit .264/.355/.378 while racking up seven doubles and a pair each of triples and home runs. The freshman from Cincinnati also drove in 19 RBIs, scored 30 runs and drew 22 walks. Further, his showing that season earned him a spot on the American CPL All-Star team as well.
With his debut, the CPL has now had two alumni reach the Bigs in 2023; with Wiemer officially being the 166th alum to do so in league history. He is also the 13th former SwampDogs player to go on and make their Major League debut.

About Coastal Plain League:
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. The CPL is currently comprised of 14 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had nearly 1,750 alumni drafted and 166 alums make their Major League debut. Most notable alumni include Justin Verlander, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, Chris Taylor, Alec Bohm, Jake Cave, 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.