DURHAM, NC – The Coastal Plain League (CPL) announced today the the coaching staffs for the 2025 All-Star Game to be held in Macon, Ga., at Luther Williams Field on July 6 and 7.
Despite not having a split-season this summer, the League looked at the top teams in each division at the halfway point, with the leaders being Forest City and Peninsula. Both head coaches, DJ Russ and Hank Morgan, were offered the opportunity to be the skipper of the West and East All-Stars respectively. Russ accepted, but due to previously scheduled commitments, Morgan had to decline. The offer was then extended to the coach of the next-best record in the East, which is Morehead City’s Sam Carel, who accepted. Both head coaches were then able to choose their two assistants, either selecting their own team assistants or other head coaches within their respective division.
In the West, Russ has led the Owls to the best record in the league thus far, sitting at 15-6. Russ is currently head coach at Wake Tech Community College, and had prior stints at Mount Olive, High Point, and Guilford Tech. This is his second straight CPL All-Star Game as head coach of the West All-Stars. Joining Russ in the dugout will be Michael Menhart, head coach of the Lexington County Blowfish and Boone Bigfoots skipper Craig McAndrews. Menhart, who was an assistant with the Blowfish a year ago, coaches collegiately as an assistant at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga., while McAndrews is the associate head coach at Columbia College in Missouri.
Meanwhile, Carel is also no stranger to the CPL, serving in his fifth year with the Marlins, and recently becoming the all-time winningest coach in team history. A former head coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State and Jefferson College, he was named the CPL Coach of the Year in 2003. Joining him are his Marlins assistant coaches, Jaylen Mack and Josh Plisko, both of whom recently finished their collegiate playing careers at Coker and Methodist respectively.
Full All-Star rosters will be posted to the All-Star page of the league’s site later Tuesday. For information on tickets please visit maconbaconbaseball.com or call them at (478) 803-1795 today while tickets last. The game will also be streamed live on FloSports.
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 200 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; 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.