HOLLY SPRINGS – The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is proud to share that several of its professional alumni have been selected to participate in the 2024 Major League Baseball All-Star events (logo courtesy of MLB/MLB Pressbox). This year’s summer classic is being held in Arlington, Texas, home to the Texas Rangers.
Both Alec Bohm and David Fry have been named MLB All-Stars. Bohm will get the start at third base for the National League on Tuesday night, while also participating in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday night. Meanwhile, Fry was named the reserve designated hitter for the American League. The Derby will air live on ESPN starting at 8 p.m. EST Monday, while the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be on FOX at 8 p.m. EST Tuesday.
Bohm, who was selected by the Phillies with the third overall pick in 2018, spent the 2016 summer with the Wilmington Sharks. Legend has it that when Bohm first arrived in Wilmington, he caught a ride straight to the ballpark and without yet having a chance to meet anyone, he stepped on the field and mashed nine home runs in a batting practice session. Needless to say that made quite the impression on his coaches and new teammates and he never looked back. He finished that summer with a .330 average with a league-best 51 RBIs to go along with 11 home runs and 12 doubles. He also sported a .522 slugging percentage. Bohm was named a 2016 CPL All-Star, and won the CPL’s All-Star Home Run Derby that year in Fayetteville, N.C. At the end of the season, he was honored by being named to the 2016 All-CPL First Team.
The Wichita State product made his MLB debut on August 13, 2020 and has become a household name not only in Philadelphia but across the sport. In 2024, Bohm is slashing .295/.348/.482 with an OPS of .830. He’s tallied 107 hits thus far, including 33 doubles, a triple and 11 homers, while driving in 70 RBIs and 42 runs scored.
In the other dugout, Fry also played in the CPL during the summer of 2016. A member of the High Point-Thomasville HiToms, he started 48-of-49 games and finished the season with a .259/.398/.313 clip. He had 43 hits overall, including nine doubles, a triple and four home runs. Fry also led the HiToms with 32 runs scored and was second in RBIs with 34. Taken in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft by Milwaukee, Fry was later traded to Cleveland in the spring of 2022 and made his debut with the Guardians on May 1, 2023. So far in 2024, he is batting .279 with an OBP of .388 and OPS of .854. He has 57 hits, including eight dingers, 29 runs scored and 33 RBIs.
In addition to Bohm and Fry, former Peninsula Pilots outfielder Gavin Cross was selected to the Futures Game on Saturday. Taken by Kansas City with the ninth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Cross has proven to quite the talent. Currently listed as the No. 7 prospect in the Royals organization, he is hitting .294 with eight home runs, 40 RBIs and 18 stolen bags for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. In the Futures Game, he entered in the fifth inning and reached base on an infield fielding error to start out. He would later step back up to the plate in the seventh, but struck out.
Cross spent a short time in Hampton, VA, during the 2020 summer. He batted .313 for the Pilots in 16 at-bats with five hits, including a triple. He scored three runs and tallied four RBIs to go with five walks and two stolen bases. He also featured a .438 slugging percentage and .476 OBS that summer.
About Coastal Plain League:
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier 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 1,750 alumni drafted, and 193 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.
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, WCLY-AM, WCMC-HD4, Microspace, WRAL Digital and Wolfpack Sports Properties (a joint venture with Learfield) in Raleigh, NC; WILM-TV, WILT-LD and Sunrise Broadcasting 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; Greenville Yard Gnomes in Greenville, NC, the American Underground startup hub in Durham, NC; and real estate interests including the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham, NC, and Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, NC.